Fire season is here and it’s coming two weeks earlier than expected, according to WA Department of Natural Resources.
Just Tuesday, there were two brush fires within hours of one another.
And it’s not something Gary West expects to see this time of year, but it’s not all that surprising to him.
“You can see that undergrowth and the grasses are very lush and they're starting to dry out very quickly,” he says.
DNR says a warmer April caused the snow to melt faster earlier, so our above-normal snow pack is now below normal, and some plants are drying out already. So, DNR says it’s time to prepare.
“Being prepared for wildfire gets people prepared for any disaster that we may encounter in this area,” says Guy Gifford with DNR.
It's something West does.
“We're very conscious about what we do here and how we handle fire,” he says. “Pick up and clean up
He clears all the brush away from his home, pick up dead branches and makes sure they’re far from the ground. It’s all to create at least 300 feet of defensible space.