Wildfire Resilience

Wildfire risk is increasing in Western Washington, but your home CAN survive a wildfire. Interested in learning how you can make your home and community more wildfire resilient?

We offer a comprehensive wildfire preparedness and education program to landowners across Skagit County. Our services are non-regulatory, confidential, and FREE.

Since 2019 Whatcom CD has been partnering with us to offer the same program across both counties. While each county has their unique settings and circumstances, wildfire doesn’t recognize political boundaries. The current regional Wildfire Resilience Program provides an efficient and collaborative approach to addressing wildfire risk.

Our Wildfire Resilience team has the knowledge and resources to help homeowners and communities understand their wildfire risk and feel empowered to take preparedness actions.

The Wildfire Resilience Team

Robert Walters
Community Wildfire Resilience Specialist
rwalters@whatcomcd.org
360-526-2381 x106

Alexis Bryson
Community Wildfire Resilience Technician
abryson@whatcomcd.org
360-526-2381 x119

Home Risk Assessments

Homeowners play an essential role in whether or not their home will survive in a wildfire. Simple actions taken ahead of time can reduce the risk of damage or destruction to a home, provide a better chance for fire fighters to defend the home, and reduce the risk of spreading fire to neighbors.

To find out how you can improve the safety of your property from wildfire, sign up for a FREE and customized on-site assessment. With this assessment you will also receive helpful resources and a report that defines which actions to take to improve your property’s resilience to wildfires.

Request a FREE Home Risk Assessment

A view of wood chipping in a wooded area seen from a drone.

Community Assistance

Addressing wildfire risk to your property doesn’t have to be done alone. Working together with neighbors in your community allows for a team effort to address your shared risk. One of the best methods for addressing community wildfire risk is through the NFPA Firewise USA® Program. This program provides a framework for communities to learn about and address their wildfire risk together. Some benefits include access to wildfire professionals as well as access to grant and project funding opportunities.

A great first step for a community to begin addressing wildfire concerns is to schedule a community presentation on wildfire risk and preparedness.

You can contact our Community Wildfire Resilience Specialist directly by emailing rwalters@whatcomcd.org

Please visit our Resources section to access more information including guidance on evacuation, communication, and more.

A man wearing a hard hat is putting large branches into a wood chipper machine

Inquire About Community Assistance

Fire crew with truck at the edge of a wooded area. Sunlight is shining through the trees.

Wildfire Resilience Program graphic with text: Empowering Landowners, Supporting Communities, Engaging Partners

Partnerships

Collaboration and partnerships are at the root of building community resilience to wildfire. Whether its agencies and organizations working together or neighbors working with other neighbors, wildfire adaptation is most successful when approached collaboratively. Everyone has a role to play in wildfire adaptation.

If you’d like to partner with the Whatcom Conservation District on wildfire resilience, please email our Community Wildfire Resilience Specialist at rwalters@whatcomcd.org

Partner With Us

Reducing Fuels with Biochar

A pile of brush in the foreground in front of a metal “kiln” with flames coming out of the top. There is a house and trees in the background.

Excess fuels from woody debris can increase the risk of wildfire. While traditional slash pile burning is one way to reduce this fuel, it can produce excessive smoke and pose safety concerns. An alternative to open pile burning that generates less smoke is converting woody material into biochar using a flame- cap kiln. Biochar is a carbon-rich soil amendment produced through a high-heat, low-oxygen burning process. Skagit CD offers a biochar flame-cap kiln that landowners and communities can borrow to safely reduce woody fuels on their property. This process not only lowers smoke emissions and hazardous wildfire fuels but also supports soil health and carbon sequestration.

Interested in using a biochar kiln on your property? Fill out the interest form through the link below. District staff will need to conduct a pre-burn site assessment in advance of the desired burn dates to verify appropriate feedstock, desirable kiln location, and adequate water source is available. If you have not used the District kiln before staff will provide a demonstration burn and any future kilns burns will be contingent on having a signed user agreement on file.

All kiln burns conducted on forestlands under the jurisdiction of DNR must adhere to the departments “rule burn” requirements. All kiln burns on agricultural land must adhere to Northwest Clean Air Agency requirements. Kilns are not approved for burning in County designated incorporated municipalities and Urban Growth Areas.

Request Biochar Kiln Loan