Act now to prevent wild fires

Published 1:47 pm Wednesday, August 12, 2015

From one year to the next, we’re now seeing wild fires more destructive and dangerous to homes and businesses, including the loss of life to wild animals and man.

As we’ve seen this summer, California is a tinderbox, and Washington state will be one, too, if we don’t act fast.

Install sprinkling systems in the forests and wooded rural areas that surround homes and businesses. We’re wasting a lot of water from the Columbia and other rivers by letting it run out to sea. Let’s use that water and give the weary and courageous firefighters a hand.

Hire workers in early spring to cut brush and grass and turn on the sprinklers to dampen the trees, shrubs and soil before the fire season begins.

Washington state is spending millions to fight these fires. There is no time to lose. We need to act now before its too late.

– Gus Olivo