Resources
Wildfires are a natural part of the ecosystem in central Washington, but their increasing frequency and intensity mean it's important for communities, recreationists, and other forest visitors to be prepared. Whether you're hiking through forest trails or living near National Forest System land, being prepared is not optional, it's a critical part of living in or visiting a fire adapted landscape.
Firewise Communities
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firewise Communities Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire.
Smokey's Prevention Tips
Join Smokey Bear in protecting our forests and grasslands. Learn best practices around the home and some helpful tips to go camping safely.
Risk Reduction
Communities can take steps to reduce and manage risk and become better fire-adapted. Find tools and resources to help mitigate wildfire risk in your community.
NIFC
Your gateway to real-time wildfire maps. Check current fire activity, explore past fires, or understand how weather and landscape interact with active incidents.
Safe Recreation in Fire Adapted Central Washington
- Come prepared and do not rely on being notified by officials if a new fire threatens the area.
- Know of fire closure areas before you go.
- Always carry the 10 outdoor essentials.
- Tell someone your trip plan.
- If there is a trailhead register, use it.
- Don't count on cell phones to work in remote locations.
- Be prepared to self-rescue.
- If you do come across a new fire, evaluate the situation.
Forest visitors always assume risk when recreating in natural areas, but in burned areas those risks are greater. Risks in burned areas include falling trees and limbs, uneven/unstable ground full of holes from burned root systems, falling rocks, difficulty navigating through sections of trail, and possible landslides, debris flows, and flash floods. These are elevated during high winds, and during and after heavy rains and winter storms.
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)
Some fires create situations that require special efforts to prevent further problems after the fire. Loss of vegetation exposes soil to erosion; runoff may increase and cause flooding, sediments may move downstream and damage houses or fill reservoirs and put endangered species and community water supplies at risk.
The Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) program addresses these situations on Forest Service lands with the goal of guarding the safety of visitors and employees and protecting property, water quality, and critical natural or cultural resources after the fire is out. Information collected by the Forest Service BAER teams is shared with other Federal, State and local emergency response agencies so they can provide assistance to communities and private landowners who may also be affected by potential post-fire damage.
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds by a team of specialist who identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first major storms. Their objectives are to:
- Determine whether imminent post wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources exist on National Forest lands and take immediate actions to manage unacceptable risks.
- If emergency conditions are identified, mitigate potential threats to health, safety, human life, property and values-at-risk.
- Recommend emergency response actions to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources, to minimize threats to life or property resulting from the effects of a fire, or to repair/replace/construct physical improvements necessary to prevent degradation of resources.
- Implement emergency response actions to help control water flow, sediment and debris movement and potentially reduce threats to the BAER values identified. Treatments may be applied when an analysis shows that planned actions are likely to reduce risks substantially within the first year following containment of the fire.
- Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of emergency treatments applied on National Forest lands.
In most cases, only a portion of the burned area may actually be treated. Severely burned areas, steep slopes, and places where water run-off will be excessive and may impact certain resources are typically prioritized for emergency treatment.
As large wildfires occur in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment team will be assembled to analyze post-fire condition of burned watersheds and to plan emergency stabilization treatments for fire areas.
BAER reports are posted here when they become available.
- 2024 Pioneer Fire
- 2024 Retreat Fire
- 2024 Easy Fire
- 2025 Lower Sugarloaf Fire
- 2025 Labor Mountain Fire
- 2025 Wildcat Fire
Work conducted by BAER teams focuses on National Forest System lands. However, the BAER teams coordinate closely with state and local partners to ensure a comprehensive response. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources conducts their own assessments on certain post-fire landscapes and local conservation districts provide resources for affected private landowners.
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources - Wildfire associated debris flow information.
- After the Fire Washington - Fire recovery resources for affected individuals and landowners.
- Local Conservation Districts - Resources for fire affected landowners.
- USGS Post-Fire Debris Flow Hazards - Maps of debris flow potential associated with recent wildfires.