SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – May is Wildfire Awareness Month, and wildfire experts across Spokane County hosted a fire preparedness event on Thursday in Medical Lake, the city where the devastating Gray Road Fire broke out in August of 2023.
Wildfire experts from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Spokane County Fire Districts (SCFD) 3 and 10, and Spokane Valley Fire Department all gave presentations on preparing for wildfire season.
Many presenters and officials told NonStop Local that the wildfire season in 2024 might be just as bad, or worse, than last year.
“I would suspect that it’s going to be similar to last year. It could be worse. County wide, there’s a significant number of high-risk areas. Fire District 3 alone… south of Cheney, in the Aspen Meadows area… Another area of concern… kind of the Excelsior…Mullan Hill area off of Highway 95,” Dustin Flock, Division Chief of Fire Prevention with SCFD 3, said.
It is not what anyone wants to hear, but that is why experts stress the need to plan ahead.
“We never really thought it would happen in this area. Right here. At this lake. I think this is the mentality that a lot of viewers may have. That it’s never going to happen to them. I’m here to tell you, it could happen to anybody,” Andres Steevens, SCFD 10 Assistant Chief, said.
Steevens lost his home in the Gray Road Fire.
He urges the public to have a wildfire safety plan ahead of fire season.
“The importance of knowing two ways out of your area is something that we really should stress… Have your documents all in a central location. Maybe have a safe box that you can carry with you,” Steevens said.
It’s also important to check around a home for “ember catchers,” which could include dry plants, leaves or wood.
Another tip for planning ahead is to set up cellphone alerts that provide warnings when there is a high fire danger or an active fire.
The NonStop Local App also provides the latest fire news 24/7.
