Multiagency Team Addresses Post-Wildfire Dangers in Eastern Washington

DUPONT, Wash. – Washington suffered its worst wildfire season in state history in 2015. Raging fires burned more than one million acres of public and private lands. After two straight years of record-breaking wildfires, vast areas of the state face a much greater risk of flash flooding, debris flow and mudslides. But a team effort by all levels of government aims to reduce those threats to public safety.

The team—called the Erosion Threat Assessment/Reduction Team (ETART)—was formed by the Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division (EMD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the Carlton Complex Fire of 2014. A new ETART was formed in October 2015 following the federal disaster declaration for the 2015 wildfires.

ETART participants include EMD, FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Weather Service, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Washington State Conservation Commission, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Spokane, Okanagan and Whatcom conservation districts, and many others.

Led by the Okanogan Conservation District, ETART members measured soil quality, assessed watershed changes, identified downstream risks and developed recommendations to treat burned state, tribal and private lands.

“Without vegetation to soak up rainwater on charred mountainsides, flash floods and debris flows may occur after a drizzle or a downpour,” said Anna Daggett, FEMA’s ETART coordinator. “ETART brings together partners to collaborate on ways to reduce the vulnerability of those downstream homes, businesses and communities.”

Besides seeding, erosion control measures may include debris racks, temporary berms, low-water crossings and sediment retention basins. Other suggestions may include bigger culverts, more rain gauges and warning signs, and improved road drainage systems.

While public health and safety remains the top priority, other values at risk include property, natural resources, fish and wildlife habitats, as well as cultural and heritage sites.

“ETART addresses post-fire dangers and promotes collective action,” said Gary Urbas, EMD’s ETART coordinator. “With experienced partners at the table, we can assess and prioritize projects, then identify potential funding streams to fit each project based on scale, location and other criteria, which may lead to a faster and more cost-effective solution.”

Since the major disaster declaration resulting from wildfire and mudslide damages that occurred Aug. 9 to Sept. 10, 2015, FEMA has obligated more than $2.9 million in Public Assistance grants to

Washington. Those funds reimburse eligible applicants in Chelan, Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Whatcom and Yakima counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, for at least 75 percent of the costs for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure.

After the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire, FEMA provided $2.4 million in Public Assistance grants specifically for ETART-identified projects. Those grants funded erosion control measures that reduced the effects of the 2015 wildfires—such as installing straw wattles, clearing culverts and ditches of debris, shoring up breached pond dams, and seeding and mulching burned lands.

FEMA also offers fire suppression grants, firefighter assistance grants, Hazard Mitigation Grants and National Fire Academy Educational Programs.

Affected jurisdictions, landowners and business owners continue to submit requests for grants, disaster loans, goods, services and technical assistance from local, state and federal sources to recover from the wildfires, protect the watersheds or reduce the risks associated with flooding and other natural hazards.

ETART recently issued its final report, which details its methodology, assessments, debris-flow model maps, activities and recommendations. Completed activities include:

• Compiled and shared multi-agency risk assessments across jurisdictions through a public file-sharing site.

• Developed and disseminated an interagency program guide to assist jurisdictions seeking assistance.

• Transitioned ETART to a long-term standing committee to address threats, improve planning, and resolve policy and coordination issues that may thwart successful response and recovery efforts related to past fires and potential future events.

The “2015 Washington Wildfires Erosion Threat Assessment/Reduction Team Final Report” is available at https://data.femadata.com/Region10/Disasters/DR4243/ETART/Reports/. Visitors to this site may also access “Before, During and After a Wildfire Coordination Guide” developed by ETART.

More information about the PA program is available at www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit and on the Washington EMD website at http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/disaster-assistance/public-assistance.

Additional information regarding the federal response to the 2015 wildfire disaster, including funds obligated, is available at www.fema.gov/disaster/4243.