Forecasts for the fire season in the Pacific Northwest are calling for an active year, and that has local officials urging people to start preparing their property now to protect it from fire. Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege says they are urging people to do that work now rather than later. Hege says the Wasco County Fire Defense Board met this week, and a number of organizations are collaborating to help defend and prevent large conflagrations in the area. He adds a recent meeting of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Oregon Department of Forestry showed both are more organized to respond to emergencies that they have been in the past.