The coronavirus is having a profound impact in the US, and on Washington state’s ability to plan for this year’s wildfire season. In otherwise normal times, the Department of Natural Resources recruits seasonal firefighters and lays the groundwork for wildfire response in early spring. Sources: Timberbiz, Washington Forest Protection Association
But activities like wildfire response planning and hiring wildland firefighting crews had recently been put on hold as state agencies focused their attention on responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
Working forests and private forestland owners have long appreciated the importance of active management as a crucial part of mitigating for fire risk. In addition to applying best silviculture and forest management practices to promote healthy, resilient forests, communication and working with agencies like DNR is also important, said JD Marshall, Hancock Forest Management NE Washington region manager.
Working forests like Hancock Forest Management have remained in contact with DNR throughout the pandemic to enhance communication in advance of the wildfire season.
Coordinating with private forestland owners may be especially beneficial this year since coronavirus also may impact the DNR’s ability to hire all of the firefighters it needs this summer.
Commissioner Franz has expressed concern that fewer people will want to “sign up to fight wildfires this summer because it’s so difficult to stay apart from co-workers.”
Working on the fire line inherently allows for social distancing since firefighters stand far enough apart to avoid hitting one another with their tools. But the highest potential for community spread of coronavirus is in the living camps, where firefighters sleep and live in close quarters.
Commissioner Franz said the agency is considering ways to address social distancing concerns like reducing the number of people together in vehicles and air crafts and providing personal protective equipment for firefighters while in enclosed spaces.
In addition, DNR is working with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, a federal agency that establishes wildfire operations standards, on guidelines concerning infection control procedures and managing an infectious disease outbreak during a wildland fire incident.
This comes at a moment when some predict that the 2020 wildfire season could be more severe than what the state experienced in 2019. Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond noted that current climate models indicate that summer 2020 could be 2-degrees Fahrenheit hotter than normal and coupled with a drier April is “raising some concerns.”
Noting a warm, dry summer further complicated by the coronavirus pandemic could result in a “troubling” situation in Washington and Oregon for firefighters and residents, the Union-Bulletin’s editorial board urged the community to be more mindful this summer of the potential for small human created sparks to erupt into disastrous wildfires.
In addition, the state reported a relatively mild wildfire season last year due to a wetter and cooler summer. However, fewer wildfires also has resulted in more wildfire fuel – fallen branches, shrubs, underbrush and dead trees – accumulated on the forest floor since they didn’t burn off last year.
