The San Juan Islands Conservation District is excited to partner with the WA Department of Natural Resources and Orcas Island Fire and Rescue to host a free wildland fire fighting training from 10 AM to 2 PM on June 18th at OIFR Station 21 (45 Lavender Ln Eastsound). Taught by seasoned instructors Jordan Pollack and Kyle Dodd, training participants will get experience in safety protocols for both wildfire and prescribed fire events.

The training will include both a classroom portion and field practicum with wildland firefighting equipment and tools. The event is funded by the DNRs Prescribed Fire Department as part of a broader effort to utilize fire management techniques – alongside appropriate staffing, equipment and weather conditions – to decrease fuels that could lead to potentially catastrophic wildfires. .

As the risk of wildfire in San Juan County continues to increase due to worsening droughts, overstocked forest conditions, and a growing built environment, our partner agencies are utilizing a range of forest health practices to reduce these risks.. Prescribed fire is perhaps the most widely practiced technique utilized by Coast Salish people since time immemorial for habitat improvement, food production, and wildfire mitigation.

The event has 10 training slots available, and attendees will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Appropriate attendees include land managers, volunteer firefighters, or land owners interested in appropriate training in case of a wildland fire. To register please email Kai Hoffman-Krull, the SJICD Forest Health Manager, at kai@sjicd.org.