May 2023, V1

We’d like to introduce the newest committee to the HOA. We now have a Firewise Committee working to keep our neighborhood safe and increase our preparedness in the event a fire should impact our neighborhood. Below is some information that may be helpful in understanding who we are and what we strive to do.

If you have any questions, feedback or anything you’d like more information on, please contact us via the Contact Us page. (Select “Firewise” from the dropdown topic menu in the contact form.)

This is the first newsletter for LRAA so we look forward to engaging the community and providing resources that help YOU!

What is a Firewise USA® Community?
Living here in the Methow Valley safely and responsibly requires adapting, understanding the risks and taking action to better prepare for, respond to and recover from wildfire. There are things you can do to protect your home and neighborhood as well as your family’s safety. The Firewise USA® program will help our community with this preparedness and improve our resilience to wildfire.

• For detailed information on what this program is and for helpful information, please visit Firewise USA

• Do residents have to participate? No, this is completely optional and highly recommended!

Who are the Firewise committee members?

• Nick Glatt

• Pam Saxton

• Maria Hines

• CB Thomas

• Malcom Griffes

• Caryn Darmer

Committee Updates as of May 2023

• LRAA has been awarded a Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) micro grant for $3,000. With the recommendation of DNR and the firewise committee we determined the best use of these funds are to protect our HOA propane tank and HOA generator near the fire hall against fire explosion by clearing the brush near it, laying down weed cloth and surrounding it with gravel. This work will be completed by early June in advance of the summer season.

• Please email us if you’d like to come help spread the gravel around when it arrives, meet committee members and take a step towards keeping our community safe. We’ll be throwing a couple short community work parties in May!

• We will continue to look for funding to help with fire safety and are actively working with our DRN and Forest Service representatives.

• Our next step is to complete a community firewise assessment as an aspiring Firewise USA® community. This assessment will help us understand our vulnerabilities and provide guidance specific to LRAA on how we can better protect our neighborhood. This will also give us access to more resources that we can leverage to protect our neighborhood from fire.

What can you do to protect your property against fire?

• Order blue reflective address signs so emergency vehicles can locate you quickly.

• Perform a self-inspection home firewise assessment of your property.

• Earn rebates for clearing small trees, limbing, raking or any action you take to help clean your property of debris that could be a fire hazard. Information on rebates and what’s required can be found at https://www.dnr.wa.gov/cost-share.

FAQ

Q: How many unexpired fire extinguishers should I have in my home and where should they be?
A: Check out the safety checklist.

Q: During fire season in case of an evacuation, what essentials should I keep packed and ready for us and our pets?
A: Read this handy essentials sheet.

Q: Do your guests or renters know when there is a fire ban?
A: It’s posted on the large green sign as you enter the HOA and on the LRAA website. If someone has an illegal fire burning during the burn ban, call 911 so they can handle it.

Additional Resources

Purple Air - Air Quality App

National Interagency Fire Center - Fire tracking map.

Fire Adapted Methow Valley - We invite you to explore the resources shared on the Fire Adapted Methow Valley website that are relevant to our Methow Valley including some highlights listed below.

• Adapting western North American forests to climate change and wildfires: 10 common questions - This is a fantastic article – well worth reading.

• Fighting Fire with Fire - Includes a video about home loss in Rising Eagle fire and rebuilding using Firewise principles. Definitely watch the video!

The Firewise USA website and its information on the FirewiseUSA program provides you with a structure for actually preparing for wildfire and how to engage folks in your neighborhood. This site will help with:

• the reasons WHY this work is so important,

• HOW the dry east of the mountains, fire-prone and fire-shaped ecosystemsfunction and remain healthy,

• WHAT do people mean when they say restoration work is needed in our forests,

• WHAT is wildfire risk mitigation and why is it important.