THE BOTTOM LINE:
- Among the suggestions are to:
- Clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves, debris, and pine needs that could catch embers.
- Clear away leaves and needles within 5 feet around the house.
- Move any flammable materials, such as mulch, flammable plants, and firewood piles, away from exterior walls.
- Remove anything flammable stored underneath decks or porches.~
7/9/20 | News Radio KONA | KENNEWICK, Wash.– Since moving to her home at the edge of Zintel Canyon in 1984, Debbie can’t remember a year that there wasn’t a fire in the canyon.
“The first fire I was remember was in 1985, and it started way up on the other side of 27th, and it came so fast. You just don’t realize how fast, and it creates the wind, and all of a sudden it’s at your house,” Debbie said.
She was standing outside of her home talking with Inspector Lincoln Swenson and Captain Brian Ellis with the Kennewick Fire Marshal’s Office about the changes that have been made to the canyon over the years, and how the agency has worked with homeowners to protect their property.
“The fire department is great, they come and we’ve been saved every time,” she said.
The City of Kennewick established a working group of residents and other stakeholders to coordinate clean-up efforts to reduce the amount of dry brush and other fire hazards in the nature preserve along with the Spirit of America Trail in Zintel Canyon.
Volunteer groups have spent several days knocking down and removing dead trees, and the Kennewick Police Department has increased patrols through the canyon, to prevent unauthorized camping. READ MORE
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