With August historically the peak of wildfire season across the Pacific Northwest and thousands of structures already lost in 2026, fire agencies and emergency managers are urging residents in fire-prone areas to take immediate and concrete preparedness steps. The window to prepare before a fire threatens your community is narrow — and this year, experience shows it can close faster than anyone expects.

The Lesson from Spokane

The Spokane Complex fires of August 1, 2026 burned into populated neighborhoods with extraordinary speed, giving some residents only minutes to evacuate. While Spokane had invested in voluntary neighborhood-level evacuation drills in 2025 and 2026 — with participants from the Thorpe, Grandview, Latah Hangman, and Eagle Ridge neighborhoods — after-action assessments found that evacuation was hampered by limited egress routes, traffic congestion, and incomplete enrollment in the newly-launched Alert Spokane notification system.

The lesson for communities across the Pacific Northwest is clear: preparedness activities done before a fire arrives are the difference between an orderly evacuation and a deadly scramble.

Steps Residents Can Take Now

  • Know your evacuation zone: Many counties use a Go/Set/Ready or Level 1-2-3 system. Know your zone and what each level means before a fire starts.
  • Sign up for local alerts: Register for your county's emergency notification system. Wireless Emergency Alerts from FEMA are broadcast to all phones in an area, but local systems provide more specific, location-based information.
  • Prepare a go-bag: Include medications, documents, phone chargers, cash, water, food, and clothing for at least 72 hours.
  • Create defensible space: Clear vegetation 0-5 feet from your home completely; reduce fuels 5-30 feet out; manage fuels 30-100 feet out. This is the single most effective structural protection measure.
  • Harden your home: Ember-resistant vents, metal mesh gutters, Class A roofing, and dual-pane windows significantly reduce the chance that your home will ignite from wind-blown embers.
  • Plan for pets and livestock: Animal evacuation takes more time. Know where you will take animals and have trailers, carriers, and routes planned in advance.
  • Have a communication plan: Designate an out-of-area contact and agree on a meeting point with family members who may not be reachable during an emergency.

Resources

The following resources can help you assess your risk and take action:

Fire season in the Pacific Northwest typically extends through mid-October, and some of the most destructive fires in regional history have occurred in September. Now is the time to prepare — not when the sky turns orange.