SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Spokane County has received a federal grant to fund wildfire prevention projects in four conservation areas as officials prepare for the upcoming fire season.
The newly accepted FEMA grant will support fire mitigation work at Haynes , Holmberg, Beacon Hill, and McKenzie Conservation Areas. The projects aim to clear fire-burning materials that could help wildfires spread through these areas.
The initiative comes as residents remember recent wildfire threats in the region. A wildfire on Beacon Hill previously forced hundreds of people to evacuate and threatened nearby homes.
“The fire moved very, very quickly. And we got to the point, at least in this neighborhood, that we had to be prepared. And it was very nerve wracking,” said Ben Van Meter, who lives near Beacon Hill. “You had to think through like, okay, what are the absolute essentials that we need to grab and get out of here in case the fire does move quickly in our direction?”
Van Meter’s experience reflects the concerns of many residents living near forested areas in the Pacific Northwest. The proximity to natural areas brings both benefits and risks for homeowners.
“Living in the Pacific Northwest, part of that risk that we face is wildfires. And living this close to the forest, naturally, that is a bit of a concern for sure,” Van Meter said.
The grant-funded mitigation work will focus on removing materials that could fuel wildfire spread. This includes clearing dead trees and vegetation that pose fire risks in the conservation areas.
“There’s dead trees that certainly need to be cut or, part of a controlled burn. So, yeah, absolutely. There’s definitely some fuel for the fire back there that needs to be taken care of,” Van Meter explained.
Residents living near the affected conservation areas have expressed support for the proactive approach to wildfire prevention. The sentiment among neighbors reflects a preference for prevention over emergency response.
“I think that just reinforces what I was saying earlier, which is if we can be proactive and reduce or eliminate the risk, I’m all about that,” Van Meter said.
The county has entered phase one of the project, which involves developing comprehensive plans for the fire mitigation work. Officials will determine specific strategies for each conservation area based on their unique characteristics and fire risk factors.
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
