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New family friendly event focuses on wildfire smoke, its impacts to health

Attend in-person on July 13 or opt for live stream in Chelan

People are invited to an evening of community conversation and fun activities while learning how to better protect themselves from the impacts of wildfire smoke.

No Community Left Behind: Fire-Wise and Smoke Readiness will be held 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, at the Pybus Public Market event center, 3 N. Worthen St. in Wenatchee.

A live-streaming event will be held in conjunction that evening at the Chelan Fire Hall, 232 E Wapato Ave. in Chelan. People attending the live-streaming event will have the opportunity to also listen to speakers and participate in the discussions.

The new community event aims to not only raise public awareness around the impacts of wildfire smoke on human health but to also educate people on the actions they can take to better prepare themselves for wildfire season and those periods of heavy smoke that they bring annually to the area.

“Wildfires are a regular summer occurrence in the West,” said Lisa Dowling, natural resource specialist with Chelan County Natural Resources. “Whether the fires are in Canada, a nearby county or in our valley, the smoke created impacts our day-to-day lives. While wildfire smoke is something we all need to learn to live with, we also, in that regard, need to learn how to better protect our health and the health of our families.”

No Community Left Behind will feature a variety of speakers who will touch on the impacts of smoke on human health; wildfire evacuation protocols and emergency alert systems; the Pillowcase Project, a youth preparedness program; resident and community wildfire resilience; climate resilience hubs and more. A full list of speakers, as well as the event’s program, is available here.

The event also will feature several booths with free information, demonstrations and giveaways, including reusable, particle-filtering masks. The masks, available while supplies last, come in adult and children’s sizes and can be used during heavy smoke events.

Staffing the booths will be a variety of local and state agencies, including Café Wenatchee, Cascadia Conservation District, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Washington State Department of Health, the Chelan-Douglas Health District, Wenatchee Valley College, Sustainable NCW and Our Valley Our Future.

Parents are encouraged to attend with their children. The nonprofit agency EPIC will provide childcare on site, with activities for children ages 5 years old and older, so parents can participate in the event. Spanish translators also will be available.

“Wildfire smoke impacts us all,” Dowling said. “This timely event will provide important information to the local community as we head into wildfire season.”

No Community Left Behind: Fire-Wise and Smoke Readiness is sponsored by the Chelan County Climate Resilience Round Table, formed in 2020 and consisting of governmental and non-governmental agencies and community stakeholders. The Climate Resilience Round Table helps prioritize and coordinate strategies and actions that can be implemented to build climate resilience on the local level. 

Last Updated: 07/06/2023 07:55 AM

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