Opinion: Be on high alert – it’s fire season in Central Washington | Opinion

It is no longer a hypothetical concern: wildfire season has begun and it is already taking its toll on the Yakima Valley:

The fire at Slide Ranch last Saturday

• destroyed a dozen homes and burned over 3,200 acres of land south of White Swan.
• The

Road fire in the Keys

• resulted in Level 3 evacuation orders in the Terrace Heights area and threatened at least eight homes over the weekend.
• And last week,

Strahlstrasse fire

East of Zillah, 8,500 acres of land were devastated and further evacuation orders were triggered.

two more fires

• A fire broke out along the Yakima Greenway, leading to some nervous moments at the Greenway’s visitor center, which had just been rebuilt after a devastating fire in 2020.

Those early fires also set in motion a new emergency safety protocol that you’ve probably already noticed. Pacific Power now quickly shuts off power when power lines are in danger or pose a hazard themselves — which is why traffic lights have failed several times in the last few weeks.

No, this isn’t a drill. It’s a hot, smoky mess out there – and it’s only June.

Long-range forecasts continue to call for hot, dry weather, and the Department of Environmental Conservation has declared a drought emergency for most of the state, including the Yakima Valley, so we’re in for treacherous conditions.

We can’t say it enough: don’t take any risks.

Yes, you’ve heard the warnings before, but of course it can’t hurt to emphasize them again.

Here are a few suggestions from the state Department of Natural Resources – the folks who provide early air support to local fire crews.

Follow the rules. Check fire bans and other guidelines before lighting a campfire or backyard fire pit. Yakima County has a statewide fire ban in place.

Clear weeds, brush and debris—anything that could fuel a fire—around your property. Many fires are caused by airborne or flying embers, so pay close attention to potential risk factors.

And if the worst happens, make sure you have an evacuation plan in place. Fires can break out in a matter of seconds, so think everything through before you find yourself in the middle of a stressful emergency. Decide what you should take with you, what you would do with pets or livestock, and where you would go.

The DNR also has an excellent and comprehensive wildfire preparedness guide to help you make sure you are prepared.

And don’t forget to sign up for the Alert Yakima notification system with Yakima County Emergency Management, a free smartphone app that provides real-time alerts about fires, severe weather or other environmental disasters.

We all hope for a carefree summer. But no matter what happens, we all have to be prepared, alert and, above all, cautious.

The Yakima Herald-Republic’s editorials reflect the collective opinion of the newspaper’s local editorial staff.