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Officials say wildfire season may be historic; call for investments in prevention and fuels reduction
Summary
Officials including Commissioner Dave Upthegrove and Governor Ferguson called this potentially the worst fire season in state history, urged investments in prevention and fuels reduction and said long-term funding and legislative work will be needed to lower future suppression costs.
Dave Upthegrove, Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands, said the immediate suppression mission is shifting to perimeter control and hot-spot mitigation and emphasized the value of long-term investments in forest health and fuels reduction. "Investing upfront in the prevention and preparation work is 1 of the ways long term to lower those suppression costs," Upthegrove said, and he cited prepositioned equipment, mutual-aid agreements and fuels reduction as actions that made a difference in Spokane.
Governor Ferguson echoed the scale of the season, saying the state is "likely heading for the tough rally" and that "this may be the worst fire season in Washington state history." Officials said suppression costs will be substantial, will likely be the subject of future budget proposals, and that the legislature will be engaged in funding and policy responses in coming months.
