Spokane groups unite to combat extreme weather threats

SPOKANE — Fifteen organizations have joined forces to create a coordinated plan for protecting Inland Northwest communities from the increasing threats of extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

The Spokane Community Resilience Collaborative has developed a list of action items that it says local leaders need to implement to safeguard residents during severe weather events. The initiative brings together groups including the City of Spokane and the Climate Institute at Gonzaga University.

"We've got 15 orgs who came together and we're all working on community resilience in some way, and extreme heat and wildfire smoke tie into that in some way for each org," said Dante Jester from the Gonzaga Climate Institute. "And we really wanted a coordinated effort."

The collaborative's action plan includ