Landowners and homeowners worried about this year's fire season in the Bighorn Basin can learn about wildfire mitigation at a workshop in Worland.

In the past couple of years, there has been an increase in people living in areas where wild vegetation mixes with human habitation. That's according to Washakie County Firesmart coordinator Chris Weydeveld who said those areas are at a higher risk of wildfires.

"Right now, studies have shown that there are around 100 million people living in this area," said Weydeveld. "That's almost 50 million homes that have been built in these areas that are prone to wildfire."

Weydeveld added that one invasive species in particular is increasing the risk of wildfires: the Russian Olive.

"It tends to out-compete the native vegetation that lives along the river corridors and what happens is that we get those Russian Olive trees increasing in those areas," he said.

The workshop is on Monday, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Worland Community Center Complex.