Wildfire danger in Yakima County

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.