Plan Now For The Wildfire Season

Fire officials urge everyone across the Northwest to prepare properties now for the wildfire season ahead.  Oregon’s Office of State Fire Marshal has for years encouraged everyone to create defensible space, but Assistant Chief Deputy Chad Hawkins said seemingly minor mistakes could make a big difference this fire season.  He said people often worry about flames traveling over the ground.

“But it’s the embers that really are, in some studies, 75% responsible for the loss of structures in the event of a wildfire," he noted.

So, Hawkins suggests starting at the top of your house and work down: 

• clean out gutters and eaves
• keep shrubs and flammable ground cover away from siding  

And Hawkins said May is the perfect time to do the work.

“It’s a really good opportunity to ‘calm before the storm’ prepare, because we know Oregon lives with wildfire and at some point, the end of June, early July, we won’t have an opportunity to mow the grass in the heat of the day, with the low humidity and high temperatures.”

You can learn more about keeping your property safe this wildfire season, or request a free defensible space assessment by visiting the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com