The CWSC and Chelan County Fire District #3 Kick off a Water Tank Placement Fundraising Campaign in the Chumstick Drainage for Remote Firefighting
Remote Firefighting up the Chumstick is getting a shot in the arm by The Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition. The Coalition is working with CCFD #3 in researching and raising funds for water tank placement on private property in areas of the Chumstick where water is inaccessible saving precious resources for fire engine turnaround time. With tanks in place, fire trucks can refill their tanks quickly and closely to the fire, rather than making the trip to Lake Wenatchee or a local river. Remote locations such as Eagle Creek, Merry Canyon and the Little Chumstick are locations currently being reviewed for water tank placement on private property to further this effort.
The Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition and its partners, Chelan County Fire District #3, Washington State DNR, Cascadia Conservation District and the US Forest Service have been working consistently for many years to educate homeowners and conduct fuel reduction projects throughout the Chumstick drainage. However, one major problem has stayed at the forefront – water supply for fire protection purposes.
The Chumstick drainage in Chelan Fire District #3 has more than 600 homes and is considered one of the most fire threatened wildland valleys in Washington State. It has not seen significant fire activity for more than 100 years and fuel loads are considered heavy and contiguous the entire length of the drainage.
“Water for firefighting purposes is of the utmost importance in the Chumstick drainage” says Kelly O’Brien, Fire Chief, with Chelan Fire District #3. “This is the largest area of the Fire District that doesn’t have a water source for fire protection. A water source can mean the difference between saving homes or not and it could mean the difference in how aggressive firefighter will be while fighting the fire. Water for firefighting purposes shortens turn around times for the fire district water tenders, allowing firefighters to be more aggressive, and potentially lowering insurance rates for many in the community.”
John Callahan, Chair of the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition says, “getting water available to CCFD #3 in these remote locations is critical to saving homes and assisting CCFD #3 in their firefighting efforts. We need to act now to plan and implement placement of these containers in strategic locations.” With the placement of these tanks, fires could be put out and managed quicker with larger quantities of water available closer to the fire with less smoke, creating quicker fire suppression, decreasing fire loss potential during wildland and structure fire operations, and providing increased community safety and protection. Each tank can cost up to $35,000 so the Coalition is looking for ways to offset those costs.
This campaign is a community effort because we will all benefit from water tank placement and increased firefighting efforts in the Chumstick! No matter where we live in the Upper Valley or in Chelan County, the health of the Chumstick drainage is of vital importance to us all! Join the fundraising campaign, “Water Not Words” and donate to this important project today!
Remote Water Tank Design
You can Donate to The Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition Today and Save Your Community Tomorrow!
The Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition assists landowners and community members in the Leavenworth and NCW region to reduce wildfire risk to their homes and communities! We couldn’t do it without you! Please donate today!