Wildland Fire

Visit the San Juan County Fire Marshal’s Office for current information on fire risk in the islands and what fire activities may or may not be allowed.

While the risk of wildland fire in the San Juan Islands is far less than Eastern Washington, much of California, and even other regions of Western Washington, the risk to the islands during our dry summers is real. What are the most important things to know?

• Calculating wildland fire risk is a complex process. Some factors are concerning for the islands: low summer rainfall, many structures surrounded by dense forest, human behavior, poorly managed timberlands. Other are good news: relatively humid air, shaded understory, lack of thunderstorms, low occurrence of extreme fire weather. In the end, fire risk varies considerably across the islands and a detailed look is required to fully assess the hazard. While there is no perfect tool for modeling risk, and the scale of this map is relatively large, the National Interagency Fire Center does produce a tool with a 7-day forecast for “significant fire potential”. There can still be fires of concern, even when risk is low- but this is a useful tool for highlighting times when islanders should be extra concerned about fire starts.

• Taking steps to protect and secure the area around your home is the first and most important step. Go to www.firewise.org for more info.

• Nearly all wildland fires in the islands are started through human negligence. Unwatched campfires, unauthorized brush pile burns, and fireworks result in the majority of island fires. Preventing poor decisions, especially during times of high fire danger is critical.

• Private and public land owners have a responsibility to thoughtfully manage their timberlands in a way that helps protect the islands from widespread fire impacts. The San Juan County Conservation District has foresters on staff who can assist with forest management planning.

If you want to learn more about wildland fire and how to protect your property, you may want to contact your local island fire department for more information. They will perform site visits and walk you through preparedness steps one on one. They are a tremendous local resource and are usually willing to help (so long as they're not busy responding to an emergency!).

For more info, please take a look at our wildland fire fact sheet:

San Juan County Fire CONTACTS:

Wildfire Information

WA Dept of Natural Resources: Information on wildland fire prevention and response in WA State

FEMA Fact Sheet: Wildfire

Firewise: Making Sensible Choices in the Wildland/Urban Interface