As the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) moves into resiliency and preparedness, it is educating people about Firewise practices — using fire-proof building materials, screening vents, and creating an area around a home that will be resistant to fire. Through their Green Again campaign, the organization has distributed native fire-resistant plants to fire survivors to […]
Firewise
Firewise cleanup and demo Sunday in Winthrop
Fire Adapted Winthrop will host a Firewise cleanup work party and demonstration on Sunday (May 20), next to 3 Bears Cafe & Quilts on Highway 20 in Winthrop, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Volunteers are needed to assist; you need not stay the entire time. Work will include pulling dead limbs and small trees […]
Agencies discuss response criteria for wildland fires
A recent community meeting about wildland firefighting raised questions about how agencies coordinate in fighting fires, the ramifications for firefighting of closed roads on public lands, and how decisions are made about protecting …
Winthrop urged to become ‘Fire-Adapted’
When it comes to wildfires, Winthrop has dodged the bullet so far, but a local resident is suggesting that town leaders do more to prepare for a time when the town may not be so fortunate.
“We’ve been really lucky in our community,” Winthrop resident …
UPDATE: Diamond Creek Fire, Friday, Aug. 4
As the Diamond Creek Fire enters its second week, fire managers are focusing on preventing the fire from advancing north toward Canada and south toward the Eightmile drainage.
In a community meeting Thursday evening (Aug. 3) in Twisp, members of Pacific Northwest Team 2, a Type 1 incident management team, said the northern and southern perimeters of the fire are
Carlton Complex Fire recovery continues three years later
Efforts focused on rebuilding, better communications, preparedness By Marcy Stamper and Ann McCreary Methow Valley residents may have felt an uneasy sense of déjà vu this week as temperatures heated up and smoke drifted into the valley from British Columbia wildfires. Three years ago on July 14, a lightning storm sparked four separate fires — three in […]
Firewise practices are highlighted in annual Home Tour
Eight local homes will be featured in Confluence Gallery’s 15th annul Methow Valley Home Tour on Saturday (Aug. 6). The theme of this year’s tour, which is presented in partnership with the Okanogan Conservation District, is “Firewise Homes: Fire Adapted Building and Landscaping.” The self-guided tour, which will include local examples of the best practices […]
Thinning, prescribed burning proposed for Libby, Buttermilk creek watersheds; local reactions mixed
If nature were allowed to run its course, portions of the Libby Creek and Buttermilk Creek watersheds would have experienced natural fires every five to 15 years.
Those fires historically played a role in keeping forests healthy — burning at low intensity, clearing out …
Community briefs: May 6, 2015
Budrow speaking at roundtable Twisp Police Chief Paul Budrow will talk about the state of law enforcement in the town at the Community Roundtable on Friday (May 8) at 10 a.m. at the Twisp Valley Grange. The event is free. For more information, call 997-0227. DamNation screening in Mazama The documentary film DamNation will be […]
DNR: Wildfire season is now official
Wildfire season has officially begun in Washington state. The Department of Natural Resources said in a press release that the season began on April 15. DNR said that it has already had more than 60 forest fires reported this year on lands protected by the agency. “This year, we have ominous predictions for a hot, […]
