King County proclaims May 2025 Wildfire Awareness Month; emergency office urges residents to sign up for alerts

The Metropolitan King County Council and King County Executive Braddock on Tuesday proclaimed May 2025 as Wildfire Awareness Month, citing climate-driven increases in wildfire risk across the county and the need for community preparedness.

Councilmember Perry introduced the proclamation during the council meeting and said the county must recognize the heightened risk where cities meet forests, known as the wildland-urban interface. “It’s critical that each of us is equipped with the knowledge and resources to prepare ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our properties for wildfires,” Perry said.

King County Executive Braddock said the county is treating extreme heat and wildfire response as part of the county’s early-term priorities and has sought input from subject-matter experts, local leaders and community members. Braddock noted the Office of Emergency Management is coordinating with regional partners and will circulate a public survey to gather feedback on preparedness planning.

Director Bridal McCluskey of the King County Office of Emergency Management urged residents to enroll in the county alert system and to have evacuation plans and go-kits ready. “Sign up for Alert King County, kingcounty.gov/alert, have a plan, especially on what to do when you need to evacuate, pay attention to evacuation orders when they come, make a kit, especially a go kit that you can just pop in your car and get ready to go, and know how to stay informed,” McCluskey said.

The proclamation references recent regional wildfire impacts, including the Bolt Creek Fire in September 2022, which council members said burned nearly 15,000 acres in northeast King County near Skykomish, prompted evacuations and produced hazardous smoke across the region. The council’s text also acknowledged the county’s Ready, Set, Go evacuation messaging campaign and King County’s wildfire risk reduction strategy.

The proclamation was read by the council and presented to Director McCluskey; a photo followed. No formal legislative action or vote was recorded for the proclamation beyond the ceremonial presentation.

Why it matters: Council members said the proclamation is intended to raise public awareness and to reinforce county efforts to coordinate first responders, public-health messaging and community-level preparedness as wildfire conditions evolve.

The Office of Emergency Management asked council members and county staff to share the upcoming survey widely; no new funding or ordinance was proposed during the presentation.