Getting ready for the next one

PATEROS – Beginning on March 19 in Pateros, and running through May 1, in Twisp, the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group in partnership with the American Red Cross will host six Fire Strong Workshops in six different locations in Okanogan and Chelan counties to encourage communities and citizens to become more fire resilient.

The day-long workshops will all run from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
Tuesday, March 19
Pateros High School, 344 Beach Street, Pateros, WA 98846

 Wednesday, March 20
Campbell’s Resort, 104 Woodin Avenue, Chelan, WA 98816

Tuesday, April 16
Cultural Center,411 S. Western Avenue, Tonasket, WA 98855

Wednesday, April 17
Okanogan Fairgrounds, 175 Rodeo Drive, Okanogan, WA 98840

Tuesday, April 30
Community Center, 4000 Columbia River Road, Nespelem, WA 99155

Wednesday, May 1
Methow Valley Community Center, 201 Highway 20, Twisp, WA 98856

All workshops are free to the public and will include the same resources and information. Community residents need no registration to attend, but agencies or organizations that wish to participate may register online at ocltrgvc@gmail.com.

Each workshop will involve fire-related organizations from around the region that will feature presentations, displays, and valuable information regarding wildfire preparedness. The workshops will collect stories and insurance surveys from the 2014-15 wildfires to help capture and preserve the history of what happened before, during and after the events.

Stories and surveys can also be submitted online at www.okanogancountyrecovery.com/share-information-1, and www.surveymonkey.com/r/ocltrg.

The Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group originated in the Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery Group (CCLTRG) founded in 2014 in the aftermath of the 286,108-acre Carlton Complex wildfire, at that time the state’s largest.

The following year when the Okanogan Complex and Chelan Complex wildfires burned nearly 400,000 combined acres over five counties, CCLTRG evolved into the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG) that expanded its recovery efforts across Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, and Stevens counties.

With the help of countless volunteers and donors, OCLTRG, under the guidance of Pateros Mayor Carlene Anders, Executive Director of the OCLTRG and Chairman Jon Wyss, the group began the long task of helping survivors recover from the losses of homes and property.

In three home construction phases begun in 2017 and concluding this year OCLTRG will have built some 36 homes and completed more than 250 volunteer requests ranging from site cleanup, outbuilding constructing, fencing, and more. And the work continues.

The year just passed set another record for wildfires in Washington state, according to figures from the Department of Natural Resources. DNR recorded 1,850 responses to wildfires in 2018, so citizen and community preparedness is more important than ever.

The Fire Strong workshops are a great place to learn what is needed to get prepared. For more information go to www.okanogancountyrecovery.com/firestrongworkshops.