OLYMPIA, Wash.- A bill which would require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to develop a system for tracking wildfire risk throughout the entire state is moving swiftly through the Washington Legislature.
SB 6120, which is sponsored by Democrat Sen. Kevin Van De Wege and Republican Minority Leader Sen. John Braun has two main components
The bill calls upon the DNR to maintain a comprehensive system to identify which areas of the state are at the highest risk of susceptibility to wildfires.
It then requires all places which are at a high risk for wildfires to apply the International Wildland Urban Interface Code as adopted by the state of Washington to the issuing of new building permits.
The interface code is a set of policies which require materials in the construction of new buildings to be more fire resistant. It also mandates that buildings that are at a high burn risk to undergo renovations with less flammable materials.
Wildfires posed a significant threat to public safety last fire season. A fire in Medical Lake which occurred in late August of 2023 burned 10,000 acres and caused $5 billion in damages.
The bill received unanimous support when it passed the state house on Feb. 7 and has already been referred to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in the Senate.
