Wildfire prevention efforts succeeded despite pandemic Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources Landowner Program almost reached their ambitious goal of reducing fire fuels of 5,500 acres of private land. Author: Nicole Hernandez Updated: 9:07 AM PDT May 19, 2021 SPOKANE, Wash. — Clearing fire fuels is critical to reducing the risk of wildfires in the summer months. Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources Landowner Program focuses on fire hazard abatement on private land. The program saw more landowners interested in participating in the program during the pandemic. Steve Harris, Assistant Region Manager in Northeast for Wildfire and Forest Practices, attributed the uptick in participation to stay at home orders, saying people were looking for more to do around the house.