Local News

Wildfire Education professional training for contractors

Press Release

Mar 14, 2019

Wenatchee Valley College Continuing Education, in partnership with Okanogan Conservation District and Okanogan County Economic Alliance, is hosting two free classes this March for local contractors to meet a growing demand for fire mitigation services:

Starting and Growing a Fire Mitigation Business: Saturday, March 23, 8-12 p.m.
Preventing Home Ignitions for Builders and Landscapers: Saturday, March 30, 8-12 p.m.

Classes will take place at the WVC at Omak campus. Register through WVC Continuing Education by calling (509) 682-6900, online at wvc.edu/CED or in person with Cindie Martin at the WVC Omak campus registration office

The Starting or Growing a Fire Mitigation Business class will cover the types of home-hardening and fire-ready landscaping projects that are in demand, the basics of starting/expanding a business and an introduction to government contracting. The class will be co-taught by the Okanogan County Economic Alliance and will connect potential or current business owners with resources to support their work.

The Preventing Home Ignitions for Builders and Landscapers class will bring students up to date on the latest science to protect homes from wildfires through fire-resistant construction and landscaping. A recent survey by WVC Omak found that 78 percent of homeowners would prefer to hire contractors who understand the risk factors that lead to home ignitions during wildfire.

Okanogan Conservation District’s Firewise Coordinator Kirsten Cook said that a lack of contractors is a common problem she hears from landowners who are trying to prepare their homes and landscaping for wildfire.

“Several homeowners had to drop out of our home-hardening grant program because they could not find contractors to do projects like installing ember-resistant vents, adding metal flashing, or creating a non-flammable perimeter around the house,” Cook said. “As we continue to see wildfires destroying homes around the West, builders and landscapers who can help their clients reduce their risks will be in high demand here in fire country.”