$63 million wanted to prevent and fight fires in Washington

The states commissioner of Public Lands released a proposal Monday to raise some $63 million each year to fight wildfires and take steps to prevent them in the first place. Money for the fund will come from a surcharge of $5 per year on each policy sold by property and casualty insurance companies across the state. Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz estimated it will cost the average household just over $1 per month, based on one homeowners policy and two auto policies.