The Yacht Haven area of San Juan Island officials became a Firewise Community July 30.

A community meeting that day in the District 3 Headquarters Fire Station explained how wildfires work and some strategies for preventing damage from them.

The Firewise program helps homeowners protect their homes from wild fires. When a community joins together, they help protect each other. Simple things like cleaning gutters and maintaining fire-engine access to the area makes fire prevention much easier.