STEVENSON, Skamania County — When a fire burns close to your home, little things may make a big difference.

Thin layers of metal screen stretched across vents can keep embers from penetrating a combustible attic. Freshly cleaned gutters rob the fire of pine needles that form an easy source of ignition. Removing brush, firewood and low-lying limbs from around a house help create a more defensible space.

The need for such preventive work — and building with fire-resistant materials — has long been preached to those who live in the arid expanses of Washington and elsewhere in the West, where wildfires year after year claim homes and lives.

Read more about Underwood Conservation District’s fire prevention efforts in Skamania County by following the link below.

Source: The Daily News | As wildfire risk grows west of Cascades, homeowners urged to better protect their homes