Firewise Committee

 
 

DID YOU KNOW THAT LRAA IS A CERTIFIED FIREWISE® SITE?

Our Firewise Committee is actively working to keep our neighborhood safe and increase our preparedness in the event a fire should impact our neighborhood. Please check out the Firewise Community Newsletters below to see what we’ve been up to and what you can do to make LRAA more fire resilient. Access our expanded tool library to help with “firewising” tasks on your property.

If you have questions, feedback or anything you’d like more information on, please contact us via the Contact Us page. (Select “Firewise” from the dropdown topic menu in the contact form.)

Your Firewise Committee
Pam Saxton, Maria Hines, Matt Kennedy & Jenn Bula


• FIREWISE NEWSLETTERS & DOCUMENTS
August 2026 Newsletter - includes resources for tracking the Ptarmigan Fire
April 2026 Newsletter
August 2025 Newsletter
September 2024 Newsletter
May 2024 Newsletter
August 2023 Newsletter
Community Wildfire Risk Assessment [pdf]
May 2023 Newsletter

• LRAA COMMUNITY FIREWISE TOOL LIBRARY
The LRAA Community Firewise Tool Library is a great resource to help you with this work! All LRAA homeowners now have access to use the tool library housed in the LRAA Fire Hall. We have invested in several new pieces of equipment, such as a small electric chainsaw, an electric Weed Wacker, an electric tree trimmer, manual trimmers, a tow rake, and a leaf blower. There will also be an expanded selection of tools like rakes, wheelbarrows, shovels, and more to help with your Firewising efforts.

 How it Works 

  • To receive the door code to the fire hall, please email lraa.business@gmail.com.

  • There is a tool sign-out sheet posted in the fire hall. Please fill it out and read all notes and information presented in those documents so you understand the rules and expectations of the tool library.

  • Tools must be returned within 4 days of borrowing. 

  • If any supplies are running low or there is any damage to tools in the library, please email lraa.business@gmail.com.

  • If you do not know how to use a tool in the library properly, please find someone in the neighborhood to help you, or avoid using the tool so we can minimize damage from improper usage of these tools.

  • If you borrow a cordless tool that requires a battery, feel free to take the charger with you, but make sure you return all components when done using said tools.

  • Please return equipment ready to use. For example, replace wire used in Weed Wacker, top off oil in the chainsaw, etc.

  • Please put the tools back in the condition and location you found them. Make sure to clean the tools, so they last for a long time.

  • Please make sure the fire hall doors are fully shut, and the lights are off when leaving the building.

  • You are responsible for paying for or replacing any tools that break while you are borrowing them if it is a result of misuse. 


• HELP US MAINTAIN OUR FIREWISE CERTIFICATION
Please share how many hours you have put into making your property more fire-resilient. We get to use these hours towards our Lost River Airport Firewise community hours. These hours give us access to neighborhood micro-grants and free programs, such as the chipping day or dumpster days in Oct. If two or more people worked, then add everyone hours separately so we record all total hours. Please email all your hours lraa.business@gmail.com.

• FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR FIRE MITIGATION WORK ON YOUR PROPERTY
One benefit to becoming a Firewise neighborhood is we have an opportunity to receive funding to help make our neighborhood safe from fire through your individual contributions. DNR's financial assistance program for wildfire resilience and forest health, formerly referred to as the cost-share program, focuses on technical and financial assistance to implement forest health or wildfire mitigation treatments or to help landowners write forest management plans. See program details: https://dnr.wa.gov/forest-resilience-division/financial-assistance-wildfire-resilience-and-forest-health

• FIREWISE HOME ASSESSMENTS
You can schedule a free in-person Firewise Home Assessment with Okanogan Conservation District and Department of Natural Resources. To schedule an assessment, email Eli Loftis at eli@okanogancd.org.

Please note that nothing will ever be done to private property without the consent from the owner. It is your personal choice to participate.

 
 
Firewise Brochure - Liist of things homeowners can do to reduce the risk of fire to their home.