Last year’s wildfire season was the worst in state history, and state Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark on Thursday asked the Legislature for an additional $24 million to prevent a repeat in 2016.
Goldmark told a legislative committee in Olympia that the money would be used for additional equipment and training, and to try to put out fires earlier when they are small.
“It’s my firm belief that by funding an increase in firefighting capacity and training, we can keep fire costs down,” Goldmark told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
Several members of the committee questioned why the state did not make better use of local resources, such as volunteers and businesses with bulldozers, in battling wildfires.
State Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, said firefighters from Ritzville arrived at one large fire last summer and were immediately sent home.
“These people were willing to help,” Schmick said.
Goldmark said part of the extra $24 million would be used for joint training and to improve coordination among firefighters from numerous federal, state, local and tribal entities.
Goldmark also summarized the record-setting 2015 fire season. He noted first that three firefighters were killed battling the Twisp River Fire.
The fires destroyed more than 300 homes and were spread across the state, including 378 blazes in Western Washington, he said.