Citing the devastation and expense of fighting Washington’s wildland blazes, state Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz proposed a “groundbreaking strategic plan” Thursday to prevent and respond to wildfires.
The plan by Franz, who oversees the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is part of her $55 million budget request to lawmakers that would boost the state’s wildfire capabilities.
Franz’s 10-year plan would add 30 full-time and 40 seasonal wildland firefighters to the agency and add two helicopters to the state’s aerial firefighting resources, with one to be assembled from parts the state already has on hand, a practice DNR has used in the past.
The proposal would create a wildland fire-training academy for different agencies to use.