SPOKANE, Wash. — Local volunteers are working to protect Spokane’s natural areas from wildfires by clearing undergrowth in city parks.
A group of about 30 people gathered near Polly Judd Park Saturday to remove saplings and undergrowth that could fuel wildfires.
“We get out here, use mostly hand tools to remove some of the undergrowth and improve the forest health,” said Greg Macdonald, Vice President of Friends of the Bluff.
These materials pose a significant fire hazard if left in place.
“They provide fuel. If a fire starts on the ground, that fuel can burn up those trees and get into the canopy and create a raging forest fire that endangers all of the homes that are along High Drive and the whole South Hill,” Macdonald explained.
Regular park users appreciate these efforts. Carmela Conroy, who lives on the South Hill, said, “My dog and I are down here on the trail a couple times a week, and if it were a smoking mess, it just isn’t what we want to do.”
The cleanup near Polly Judd Park is one of several community projects Friends of the Bluff works on.
“There was actually a utility and fire road that had gotten sort of overgrown, and we probably had 40 or 50 people out over a long weekend to make that accessible and make it safe, not only for the community but for the first responders that might need to get through those roads to keep all of us safe,” Conroy said.
By removing potential kindling before fire season, volunteers aim to keep any fires at ground level rather than allowing them to reach the tree canopy.
“Our goal in reducing those fuels is to make it safer for fire, that if there were a fire, it would probably just burn through the grass on the ground and not get up into the trees,” said Macdonald.
The community effort shows how much residents care about protecting their natural spaces.
“I think it’s just people care about Spokane. They care about their parks. They’re concerned about fire safety, and it’s a great community project,” Macdonald added.
For residents interested in reducing wildfire risks in their own neighborhoods, officials recommend contacting the Department of Natural Resources to develop a Wildfire Ready plan.
You can learn more about Wildfire Ready plans here.
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