Wildfire danger in Yakima County

June 19, 2009

Washington's Yakima County risk assessment map is nearly all orange, indicating a high wildfire danger. And the northwest corner is red for extreme risk. A Wildfire Protection Plan calls for controlled burns in the next several years to clear out underbrush and head off bigger fires. The Yakima Herald-Republic reports the plan also calls for owners of vacation cabins to take steps to protect their property by creating a "defensible space" free of dried vegetation.