©Washington Military Dept.

…Washington has been developing new wildfire safety regulations for several years, including building codes for homes constructed in risky areas and rules for managing plants and vegetation. But restrictions that affect people’s homes and gardens can be unpopular. After public pushback, state legislators backtracked and repealed some of the requirements. Other Western states have also struggled to pass wildfire regulations affecting homeowners’ properties. While flood risk is managed by the federal government, wildfire regulations are up to state and local governments. The result is a patchwork of rules. …In 2024, Washington passed a bill ordering state regulators to produce new wildfire hazard maps, with fewer rules that would be enforced. …As a result of public pushback, Oregon repealed its wildfire rules last year. …Still, a number of Western states don’t have statewide wildfire rules and codes, or even maps identifying high risk areas.