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Wildfire threats in western Washington are expected to rise in late summer even as King County prepares for the possible loss of federal funding for its emergency management department.
On Tuesday, King County Office of Emergency Management Director Brendan McCluskey told Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee members that his office is anticipating cuts in federal funding that directly affect wildfire services for the region.
According to McCluskey, wildfire risks in the western portion of the state are currently at normal levels through June, but are expected to elevate in July and August as the area becomes drier. In the case of King County, the wildfire risks are usually highest between August and October.
President Donald Trump and U.S Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have expressed interest in significantly altering or eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, suggesting that states should handle disaster response and recovery with the federal government potentially offering reimbursement.
FEMA's potential elimination has concerned King County leaders, including Chief Operating Officer Dwight Dively, who previously noted that about 40% of the King County Emergency Management Department’s staff is funded by federal grants.
In the case of a natural disaster occurring in King County, FEMA typically picks up 75% of the allowed costs, while the state picks up about 12.5%.
More than 352,000 King County residents live in areas with high vulnerability to wildfires, according to McCluskey. In 2022, the Bolt Creek fire, along with two other significant wildfires ignited, in September and burned into the following month. Those fires produced smoke that reduced the air quality in the King County region to the worst in the world for multiple days.
According to a health impact assessment by University of Washington researchers, a similar smoke episode in 2020 contributed to an estimated 92 excess deaths in the region.
King County Executive Shannon Braddock also included contingency plans for any disruptions to FEMA as part of her 200-day plan. Braddock’s office will work to establish an emergency preparedness fund and also consider the backfill of select regional disaster funding to ensure mitigation planning, wildfire and extreme heat readiness across the county.