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Fire Safety in The Landscape

Posted by gnite721@gmail.com | February 22, 2021

MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM — MGs in the News

Published in: The Reflector • February 22, 2021

By John Moore

Excerpt from the Reflector article:

With all that’s happened over the last year, the smoke and devastation of last year’s wildfires may seem like a distant memory for some of us. Indeed, our typical February rain and chilly temperatures make fire season feel very far away. But now is the time to act on the lessons learned from fires of past years and take steps to mitigate the fire danger for the coming summer and fall.

The fire danger is sure to come. Our extended drought conditions persist, and even if there is some relief, our typical weather conditions tend to create their own set of hazards. According to Mark Ingalls, from Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet, we can face high fire conditions whether we have wet or dry weather in the coming months. High amounts of rainfall can stimulate a flush of small growth which rapidly dries out during the summer and becomes tinder for wildfires. On the other hand, in very dry years everything, including large vegetation like trees, becomes extremely dry and vulnerable to ignition sources. So, what can we do to protect lives and our property?

Read the entire article online.


The the Washington State University Clark College extension office can be reached at 360-397-6060 ext. 5738, or by email: Erika.Johnson@clark.wa.gov.