How ready is Snohomish County for increased wildfire risk?
We need your help with a first-ever survey to gauge just how ready Snohomish County residents and businesses are to safely live with rising wildfire risks.
The online wildfire survey takes just minutes to complete. Results will provide a snapshot of the area’s level of preparedness and help to shape a countywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
“Managing wildfire risk is not something any one organization or individual can do alone,” said Lucia Schmit, the County’s director of Emergency Management. “Wildfires don’t care about property lines or who owns what: they burn whatever fuel they encounter. Only by working together can we deny fires the fuel they seek and better protect our communities. We need your input to do that.”
A team at Emergency Management is coordinating a two-year planning effort to comprehensively examine wildfire protection needs and strategies. Key partners include area firefighters, state and federal agencies, local tribes, nonprofits, residents and landowners.
“The ecology of our Pacific Northwest forests has been an area of study and passion for me. The wild areas of Snohomish County are part of what makes this such a remarkable place to live, but we cannot ignore the growing risk of wildfire where our communities and forests meet,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “I hope people will take time to fill out this survey so we as a County can better understand and prepare for that risk.”
Click the image below to take the survey or navigate to https://bit.ly/snoco_wildfire_survey The survey will remain open into November.
Make sure you know Ready, Set, Go!
Evacuation guidance in Snohomish County follows the Ready, Set, Go! framework. These clear, straightforward messages are intended to save lives when people may need to leave areas at risk of wildfires or other emergencies.
Snohomish County is one of several Western Washington communities to have embraced Ready, Set, Go! alerts. What that means is no matter where you travel in Snohomish, King, Pierce, Skagit, Whatcom, Thurston, Kitsap and Grays Harbor counties you can expect to encounter Ready, Set, Go! guidance should the need arise
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The graphic below describes the recommended steps during each alert phase. It also can be found on the wildfire pages of the Snohomish County Public Safety Hub in English and Spanish.
A burn ban has been in effect throughout Snohomish County since July 1. The burn ban suspends all outdoor residential burning except for recreational and cooking fires, and that burning is only allowed under specific conditions.
The ban includes the unincorporated areas and within the cities of Arlington, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls, Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Snohomish, Stanwood, Sultan, and Woodway. Visit the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s outdoor burning information webpage for details. |
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The dry, warm weather has elevated wildfire risks in Snohomish County, with large fires already having scorched hundreds of acres in wilderness areas of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Red Flag Warnings have been issued this fire season for the west slopes of the Cascade Range. All outdoor burning – including recreational and cooking fires – is prohibited during Red Flag Warnings.
Training and practice can help you become more confident when faced with natural and human-caused emergencies. Register now for When Disaster Strikes: Prepare, Act, Survive, a great hands-on training opportunity.
We are again working this year with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and community partners to host sessions of this FREE 1.5 day weekend course. It is designed to better prepare people ages 13+ to help themselves, their families and others during disasters. As was the case last year, the Marysville training is geared toward students with disabilities or access and functional needs, their families and caregivers.
Use the links below to learn more and to register:
 Students practice cribbing, a technique for raising collapsed structures.
Make sure you can access critical information during emergencies. Sign up for SnoCoAlerts to receive emergency messages on your phone when it matters most. The signup process also allows you to create an online Smart911 profile associated with your phone numbers that can help first responders better assist you during emergencies.
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