Wildfire season is near, PEMCO Insurance warns about risks

SEATTLE -- It seems like we've barely melted out of the snow and now we're talking about wildfires.

Derek Wing from PEMCO Insurance joined Q13 News to talk about the risk of wildfires in Washington State.

"You think about it in terms of it happening in Eastern Washington," said Wing. "It's quickly becoming a 'not somebody else's problem.' It's getting closer and closer to Western Washington, Puget Sound area if it's not already here."

Last year, there were over 1,700 fires in Washington state that burned nearly half a million acres.

PEMCO Insurance is partnering with University of Washington's School of Environmental and Forest Sciences to help people prepare for wildfire season.

They are hosting a wildfire panel discussion on Wednesday, March 27 at the Seattle campus. The event starts at 3:30 p.m. in the Anderson Hall, Forest Club Room.



PEMCO suggests to think lean, clean and green.

Lean means clearing away underbrush and dead grass, cleaning moss and needles off your roof and moving firewood stack, so it's at least 30 feet from your home.

Clean means trimming off branches so they are no closer than 15 feet to your house and no closer than 15 feet to the ground.

Green means keeping a large, well-watered lawn. You also want to get rid of beauty bark in your flower beds because it burns when it's dry.