Climate change is expected to increase both the of wildfires, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
So now, in addition to more dry eastern Oregon wildfires, we鈥檙e likely to experience more wildfires in the wetter western part of the state. 鈥淲ildfire is not an 鈥榠f,鈥� but a 鈥榳hen,鈥� living in Oregon,鈥� said Alison Green, a spokeswoman for the .
Just as troubling for urban Oregonians is the increase in wildfires reaching cities. About 3,000 homes burned in Oregon communities such as Phoenix, Talent, Detroit and Blue River in 2020. Further afield, towns like Lahaina, Hawaii, and Boulder, Colorado, have also been devastated.
鈥淚t is a myth that if I live in a suburban area, I鈥檓 safe from wildfire,鈥� Green said.
Because of all this, the Oregon State Fire Marshal wants Oregonians to create more defensible space around their homes. That is more area between the house and potential wildfire, where vegetation has been modified to reduce the threat and help firefighters defend the house.
The state fire marshal has set up a number of new programs to help: One involves bringing wood chippers into vulnerable areas so people can chop-up their yard debris for free. Another helps communities clear combustible fuels out of greenway spaces.
Becky Watkins, who lives in Days Creek, Douglas County, recently heard about yet another program: the fire marshal will pay Oregonians
Watkins lives on 23 acres outside Roseburg with peacocks, Douglas fir trees and wild deer. There鈥檚 even a local bear that likes to raid her cherry tree. But all that vegetation means her home is at high risk of wildfire. Three have ripped through here over the last 30 years.
Watkins remembers one in 2015 that created a red glow above her trees.
鈥淚t was on the hills behind us,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he fire completely surrounded the property.鈥�
The U.S. Forest Service cut it off by digging a line with a Caterpillar. But Watkins will always remember the feeling.
鈥淚t鈥檚 usually in the back of your mind because you want to do what you can to alleviate the problem of fire burning down your house. But then, you can鈥檛 really dwell on it a lot,鈥� Watkins said.
Like many rural Oregonians, Watkins has already taken several precautions to protect her home, like installing a metal roof, which isn鈥檛 as susceptible to embers.
She鈥檚 moved her firewood away from the house, and limbed-up the trees so a grass fire can鈥檛 climb into the canopy.
She鈥檚 even vigilant about mowing the lawn: 鈥淚 do it in sections, because I have arthritis in my knee. So it鈥檚 kind of hard to do.鈥�
Defensible spaces program
A few weeks ago, Watkins applied for the fire marshal鈥檚 . Deputy State Fire Marshall Rich Holloway visited to have a look around.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e doing a fantastic job,鈥� he told her. He did notice a few issues, like a large gap in the foundation that could allow embers to enter and catch fire under the house.
Another fire marshal, Bryan Dorris, noticed bark mulch next to the house. He said that while fighting the Almeda Fire in 2020, bark mulch proved to be a real problem.
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 matter how much water we put on it, it kept burning,鈥� Dorris said. 鈥淪o I would recommend removing the bark mulch and putting in rock.鈥�
Firefighters sometimes have to choose which houses to save in a wildfire, a decision that can depend on who has cleared away brush and who hasn鈥檛.
鈥淭here鈥檚 times when we have to write off homes because they鈥檙e not defendable,鈥� Dorris said.
Watkins is going to replace the bark mulch with rock. She was hoping that the state would help her with its $250 defensible space program. But it turned out Watkins doesn鈥檛 live within one of the
鈥淭hose communities were determined, not only by wildfire risk, but by income, age, language spoken at home, all of those items,鈥� said Green, with the fire marshal鈥檚 office.
The other lingering question is whether $250 is enough to help clear a yard.
鈥淚t depends on the work you鈥檙e doing,鈥� said Green. 鈥淚f you are just hiring someone to come out and take pine needles out of the gutter, probably. To take a really large tree? It really depends on the work that needs to be done.鈥�
There are plenty of things people can do to create defensible space without removing all their plants.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal recommends:
- Planting fire-resistant vegetation
- Removing debris from gutters
- Pruning overhanging branches
- Clearing away pine needles
- Relocating flammable stuff like wood and propane tanks
- Keeping the yard well-watered
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