Every year we must replace board members who rotate off the board or who have moved out of the community. This year we have 2 open seats to fill in May 2025. If you love the Lost River Airport Community and want to contribute to seeing it thrive, this is your chance!
If elected you would fulfill a 3-year term, attending board meetings on the third Sunday of every month, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. You would help decide and execute policy regarding our roads, water systems, garbage service, and legal obligations as a HOA. Meetings are held over the phone so it is not necessary to be a full time resident to be on the LRAA board.
Being a board member is a great way to get to know your community and make sure it is running smoothly. If you are interested or if you would like to recommend someone, please contact the LRAA Business Manager at lraa.business@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Our annual Winter eNewsletter went out today. If you didn’t receive it, please check your spam/junk folder or let us know if you’ve had an email address change. If you’re new to LRAA and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit our Communication page and click “Subscribe to Email List.”
September 2024, V4
Now that we are officially a Firewise USA community, a nationally recognized site, we have our signs displayed at both entrances of the LRAA for neighborhood recognition.
SAVE THE DATE!
Community Chipping "Air Care" Event and FREE Soft Organic Material Dumpster Days
We heard your feedback from the Spring Chipping Event and it’s back on the schedule!
Through the Okanogan Conservation District and the LRAA Firewise Committee partnership, an industrial chipper is being provided for LRAA on October 7th, 2024, and a soft organic material dumpster from October 4th - 10th, 2024.
• Chipping Day Details:
Get your yard work done and build piles by the side of the road/driveway for easy access. For chipping, logs/branches must be no longer than 6.5 feet and no wider than 12 inches. They also must be natural woody material, no lumber or treated wood. Additional instructions are in the sign-up form. Please READ to ensure you are staging correctly. There is now no requirement for homeowners to be home to have chipping completed. Just have yard waste ready and staged by 8 AM on the morning of October 7th.
• Soft Organic Material Dumpster Days Details:
Only soft organic materials can be accepted, including pine needles, leaves, grass, weeds, or other non-woody material. Things not accepted are tree branches, firewood, stumps, lumber, or other woody material. WasteWise says no to any bags, plastic or paper. They need ALL material to be loose in the dumpster, in order to properly steam and treat it. Bring your soft organic materials to the dumpster in a bag(s), dump it into the dumpster and take your bag(s) home.
The dumpster will be located on Meek Road at the LRAA Fire Hall October 4th - 10th
MICROGRANT UPDATE
We were awarded another $4,000 Firewise USA Micro grant this spring that is allowing us to spread gravel around the pump house so it stays clear and accessible in case of a fire. A work party will be coordinated soon if you are interested in helping!
GOOD REMINDERS AS WE CONTINUE TO FIREWISE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Pick up/rake all flammable vegetation (dead branches, brush, stumps, logs) on your property.
Trim your trees lower limbs 15’ up off the ground
Trim tree branches within 15’ within a chimney or stovepipe
Trees close to your home are a risk, consider creating a 30’ defensible space around your home without trees.
Order blue reflective address signs so emergency vehicles can locate you quickly.
Now is a great time to do a chimney sweep after a COLD winter! This should be done every 1-2 years to prevent chimney fires in the spring and fall that could easily spread.
Please share how many hours you have put into making your property more fire resilient. We get to use these hours towards our Lost River Airport Firewise community hours. These hours give us access to neighborhood micro-grants and free programs, such as the chipping day in October. If two or more people worked, than add everyone hours separately so we record all total hours. Please email all your hours to LRAA.business@gmail.com
FREE MONEY FOR DOING FIRE MITIGATION WORK ON YOUR PROPERTY
We are now Firewise Certified Site and the benefit to becoming a Firewise neighborhood is we have an opportunity to receive funding to help make our neighborhood safe from fire from your individual contributions. And you as property owners can earn money doing the mitigation work. See the program details at https://www.dnr.wa.gov/cost-share.
Please note that nothing will ever be done to private property without the consent from the owner. It is your personal choice to participate.
Also you can schedule a FREE IN PERSON FIREWISE HOME ASSESSMENTS with Okanogan Conservation District and Department of Natural Resources. To schedule an assessment, email Eli Loftis at eli@okanogancd.org.
HOW TO STAY INFORMED ON FIRES & SMOKE IN THE AREA
Firewise resources for the upcoming summer…
If you’d like to stay informed on when fires are near us and evacuation levels you can sign up for Okanogan County alerts. It’s great to know whether you’re a part-time or full-time resident. Links can also be found on the LRAA Home page.
Okanogan County Emergency Management
AirNow - Air Quality Monitor App
Purple Air - Air Quality Monitor App (There’s a Purple Air monitor at LRAA.)
Inciweb - Up to date fire reports
National Interagency Fire Center - Fire tracking map
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Facebook
From Your LRAA Firewise Committee
Having guests stay at your house? Please ask them to take a moment to review our new “LRAA Rules to Share with Your Guests” page or download this PDF and send them a copy. Thanks from Your LRAA Board!
Our annual Summer eNewsletter went out today. If you didn’t receive it, please check your spam/junk folder or let us know if you’ve had an email address change. If you’re new to LRAA and haven’t subscribed yet, please visit our Communication page and click “Subscribe to Email List.”
A Burn Restriction will be in effect from June 15, 2024 at 12:01 AM (midnight) through October 15, 2024 at 12:01 AM (midnight). Questions? Please visit the Okanogan County Emergency Management page.
The County Commissioners implement BURN RESTRICTIONS and BURN BANS during times of high fire danger. Okanogan County uses a two-step system for restricting outdoor burning:
• The BURN RESTRICTION allows recreational fires and NO OTHER OUTDOOR BURNING.
The Burn Restriction is activated by a set date (June 15 to October 15), but may be implemented earlier or extended due to conditions. The Burn Restriction prohibits ALL field/pile/rubbish/rule/slash/yard vegetation and non-emergent agricultural burning on private lands within the unincorporated areas of Okanogan County, reducing the risk of wildfires. Recreational Fires are ALLOWED during a burn restriction if used for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth, or similar purposes and the fuel being burned is other than rubbish. Fires used for debris disposal purposes are NOT considered recreational fires. (See Recreational Fire definition below.)
• A BURN BAN prohibits ALL OUTDOOR BURNING, including recreational fires and the use of charcoal.
A Burn Ban is implemented when High Fire Conditions exist and will revert to a Burn Restriction when rescinded. A Burn Ban prohibits ALL outdoor burning of combustible materials which may include, but are not limited to yard vegetation or waste, non-emergency agricultural burning, exploding gun targets, and bullet tracer rounds. Propane fire pits are ALLOWED during a burn ban. Propane flames cannot be larger than 3 feet wide and 2 feet in height and not burned within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material. (DNR burning restrictions may apply to your private property if you are assessed a DNR Fire Control tax. This can be found on your county tax statement.)
• • • Recreational Fire Definition • • •
Recreational fires shall be contained in a concrete, rock, or steel ring (made from non-combustible material), no larger than 3 feet in diameter and no less than 8 inches in height. The fire (flames) shall be no higher than 2 feet and not conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material. Recreational fires SHALL be attended to at all times.
The Fire Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from the BOCC, DNR, Emergency Management, Fire Chiefs, Forest Service, and the Sheriff’s Office make recommendations to the Commissioners on implementing a burn restriction or burn ban. When a burn restriction/ban in place it will be posted on the Emergency Management webpage at: https://www.okanogancounty.org/government/emergency_management