Mark Martinez plans to move his family’s 4,000 head of sheep to grazing areas west of Naches and north of Ellensburg next week before fire season gets underway.
But given the unusually rainy spring, he’s worried about just how much cheatgrass has grown in those areas.
“Especially with the (warm) temperatures forecast next week,” he said recently. “It’s Mother Nature; just manage it the best you can.”
A relatively wet spring has prompted considerable growth in wildfire fuels, such as cheatgrass, which could increase chances for a wildfire next week when a warm, dry spell is forecast.