WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – It’s been quite a year for weather extremes. For starters, we’re in a continuing drought. That’s despite historic flooding this past December. Now the latest projections are for an El Niño bringing an unseasonably hot, dry June.

What does that mean for you? This summer it will be more important than ever to be prepared for what all that weird weather can mean. For instance, recent occasional bouts of rain have inspired all manner of green things to grow. Which is beautiful and good. Until the heat comes.

Then that extra greenery dries out to become even more fuel for wildfires. Other risk factors include lighter-than-normal snowpack and earlier snowmelt – which we’ve experienced.

So, risk for seasonal wildfires has increased, along with the threat of smoke and diminished air quality. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do something about it. In fact, we can still enjoy our normal outdoor activities this summer.

What you need to know:

• Respect burn bans. Whatcom County’s Stage 1 Burn Ban is in effect from June 15 through September 15, perhaps longer.
• If you’re camping where campfires are allowed, make sure
  • You have a shovel and buckets of water nearby
  • You’re using an approved fire pit
  • And never leave a warm or smoldering fire
• If you’re landscaping (or barbequing) at home, then
  • Keep a water hose or fire extinguisher handy
  • Use nylon or plastic weed-whacker line (rather than metal)
  • Don’t set gas-powered tools by dry grass and allow them to cool before refueling
  • It’s safest to work in the morning or late evening, or not at all if it’s windy

Willing to go a step further? If you live in an area near trees or wildfire hazard zones, you can help protect your home by keeping nearby vegetation low and green, trim tree limbs up to ten feet, and ensure fire fighters have a clear route to your place, just in case they’re needed.

Odds are, these seemingly unusual weather conditions will become our new normal, so it makes sense to adapt and prepare. While the weather may be out of our control, our response to it is not.

Amy Cloud is the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management.  She was born and raised locally, leaving for Whitman College and work in Seattle, Knoxville and Washington, D.C. She returned to work as Supervising News Producer and reporter for KVOS-TV’s NewsView before switching to communications for WWU, PeaceHealth and the City of Bellingham. She also co-chairs the Community PIO Group and is a member of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues.