Wildfire Resilience

When it comes to wildfire, do you think of Whidbey Island? Most minds would venture east of the mountains, but with growing awareness of the effects that drought-prone summer seasons play in our wildfire ignition potential. We've partnered with local municipalities, wildfire preparedness organizations, state and nationwide offices to equip local communities with risk assessment and action planning for wildfire events.

Check DNR's Wildfire Map

“My sense is that this has shown how many hands can work together, and that taking care of where we live generates connection among neighbors. Firewise embraces action steps for safety and prevention, while fostering an increased appreciation for the beauty of where we live.”
-Teri Jo Summer Reiger, Coupeville

How We Can Help You

Wildfire Resilience Starts at With You - and Works Better When Communities Come Together
Our staff supports residents and communities with guidance in forest health and stewardship, home ignition and creation of defensible space. We support collaborative efforts of wildfire resilient neighborhood communities.

Make drop down list for three program examples withvisual representation
Free Home Assessments: Schedule an individual visit to look at the exterior, landscaped areas, and forested portions of your property. We’ll help identify wildfire hazards and discuss practical steps you can take to improve your home’s resilience.
Neighborhood-Wide Assessments: Wildfire resilience is never done best alone. When neighbors work together, they can address shared risks and create a more resilient community. Sign up to have our team assess your whole neighborhood and help identify opportunities for collective action.
Firewise USA Support: We help communities navigate and pursue the Firewise USA® recognition program—a national framework that provides proven steps for neighbors to work together on wildfire preparedness. Communities of 8 or more homes can get started with support from our team.

Request Assistance to get started!

wildfire risk on Whidbey

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) refers to areas where homes, communities, and other development meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation. These areas are important because they can face increased wildfire exposure, making WUI mapping useful for understanding risk, guiding planning, and supporting wildfire preparedness.

Wildfire occurrences in Island County, Washington, from 2020–2025. Credit: Island County Multi-Jurisdiction Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026 Update

Fuels, prevailing winds, and topography are the key factors in determining a home’s ignitability during a wildfire incident. On the west side of Whidbey, communities tucked within forested areas along the dry, bluff zones receive prevailing westerly winds in summer. Central Whidbey receives significantly less precipitation in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. In the summer months drier, fine fuels coupled with high winds and steep slopes increase the wildfire risk to our rural residents as well as those living in the wildland urban interface (where urban communities border forested and working lands).

the science behind home ignition

Learn about the science behind wildfire from Jack D. Cohen, United States Forest Service. No one has done more to define the wildland-urban interface problem and empower homeowners to reduce their risk of wildfire than Jack Cohen. His post-fire field examinations and laboratory-based research on fire dynamics led to the concept of the home ignition zone, a phrase he coined.

WHIDBEY FIREWISE© COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Residents (from L to R) Lisa Peters, Teri Jo Summer Reiger, and Melanie Beckstrom accept Pondilla Estates' Firewise USA recognition signs.

Pondilla Estates

The Pondilla Estates community in the North Whidbey Fire & Rescue District (NWIFR) in north Coupeville was recognized in August 2020 by the National Fire Protection Association as a Firewise USA site, and Island County's third nationally recognized community! Since March of 2019, the community worked with WICD, CWIFR, and Washington DNR to accomplish the five steps to become a nationally recognized site. This small community of over 30 homes and 60 residents is excited to continue to inspire wildfire preparedness many years into the future.

Board Chair of WICH, Ted Case, receives the community's Firewise signs and plaque from Kelsi Mottet, Coordinator of the Firewise Program.

Campers Haven

Whidbey Island Campers Haven in the Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue District (CWIFR) in north Coupeville was recognized in November 2019 by the National Fire Protection Association as an official Firewise USA site, and Island County's second nationally recognized community! Now, their community of over 60 campers are more wildfire prepared and aware than ever, thanks to the efforts led by Joy Page and the Whidbey Island Campers Haven board and members. Check out their local recognition on page 10 of the Whidbey Weekly October 8, 2020 newspaper.

REPLACE WITH POLNELL PHOTO

Polnell Point

The Polnell Point community in the North Whidbey Fire & Rescue District achieved their official recognition in August of 2026, after hosting a Community Wildfire Preparedness Day event that brought together residents who alongside DNR crews removed 185 cubic yards of potentially ignitable fuels from trees and shrubs on community property.

Learn about the Kirkconnell family's journey toward better stewardship of their forest for wildfire resilience through active thinning and pruning.

Landowner Spotlight:
The Kirkconnell Family of South Whidbey

Check out the story of the Kirkconnell family as they learn about and adapt their 5-acre forested property for promoting its health and wildfire resilience. Read the Whidbey Weekly article here, originally published in May 2020 as part of Washington's Wildfire Awareness Month.

Fuels Are What Matter...

Wildfire behavior is influenced by three main factors: topography (lie of the land), weather (wind speed, relative humidity and ambient temperature) and fuel (vegetation and man-made structures). In the event of extreme wildfire behavior, extreme weather conditions are normally present. These conditions include extended drought, high winds, low humidity, and high temperatures; coupled with excess fuel build of dead and dry vegetation material. The areas' topography influences the fires' intensity and rate of spread.

Of the factors impacting fire behavior, fuels are what we can most easily manage.

Debris like dead leaves and pine needles left on decks, in gutters and strewn across lawns can ignite from embers. Ladder fuels present a hazard for homes located next to contiguous forest. Fire moving along the grounds surface can “ladder” into shrubs and low hanging tree limbs to create longer flames and more heat. Once fire reaches the tree canopy, it becomes more difficult to control and more likely to spread embers.

If your home has flammable features or vulnerable openings, it can also serve as fuel for the fire, and become part of a disastrous chain of ignitions through landscaping and structures. The home ignition zone is defined as the home and its immediate surroundings up to 100 feet.

Firewise educates homeowners about the science behind wildfire, and empowers them with tools to take proactive steps to reduce their risk. Check our resource library for helpful guides for both adults and kids.

King 5 News Visits Whidbey

In April 2021, King 5 news' Glenn Farley visited one of our Firewise USA certified Communities, who represent neighbors working collaboratively and proactively together to reduce their wildfire risk and adapt to the natural fire regimes of Whidbey Island .