May is Wildfire Awareness Month – time to prepare
In the wake of last year’s serious wildfire season, the governors of Oregon and nine other Western states are proclaiming May 2018 as Wildfire Awareness Month. The chief executives have signed a joint proclamation encouraging all citizens to “take steps to better prepare their home and communities for wildfires and work toward becoming a fire-adapted community.”
During May, the 10 states will partner with fire prevention agencies and organizations to increase awareness of wildfires. In Oregon, there will be new public service announcements, some featuring Gov. Kate Brown. The announcements will explain how every Oregonian can take steps to keep their home and the state safer from wildfire.
Kris Babbs, president of the Keep Oregon Green Association, said, “The governor, along with the Keep Oregon Green Association, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, is seeking the public’s help to prevent human-caused wildfires like the ones that swept the state last summer.”
Wildfires – 45% of which were caused by humans – burned more than 664,000 acres statewide last year, disrupting travel, degrading air quality, damaging trails and destroying homes and other resources.
“When it comes to preventing wildfires, there’s a lot at stake – lives, personal property, and the many resources provided by Oregon’s forests and rangelands,” said Babbs. “People caused more than 900 wildfires in Oregon last year. So people can make a big difference in reducing the number of wildfires.”
“It is vital that all Oregonians work with their neighbors to plan and prepare for fire season, especially in those areas currently experiencing drought as well as the more fire-prone landscapes of central and southwest Oregon. Educating yourself now about how fires can get started will be key in reducing wildfire starts,” said Babbs.
She said Wildfire Awareness Month will provide lots of opportunities for people to educate themselves about wildfire causes and consequences and to participate in community fire prevention projects.
Wildfires in the wildland-urban interface often are started by human activity, such as debris burning or lawn mowing, and then spread to the forest. Once underway, a fire follows the fuel, whether it is trees or houses.
Oregon Department of Forestry’s Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields said, “Simple prevention strategies can make your home, family and community much safer. Spring is the perfect time to remove dead or flammable vegetation from around houses and other structures and to limb up trees around the yard. The goal is to reduce nearby fuels that pose a fire risk,” he said.
To get an early start on Wildfire Awareness Month, join your neighbors in reducing your community’s wildfire risk by taking part in National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 5. The National Fire Protection Association has teamed up with State Farm Insurance to encourage residents to commit a couple of hours, or the entire day, to raising wildfire awareness and working on projects that can protect homes and entire communities from the threat of fire.
To learn even more, from May through June the World Forestry Center in northwest Portland is hosting a family-friendly exhibit about wildfire produced by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Keep Oregon Green Association. Modern and vintage ODF fire engines and Smokey Bear will be on site on Saturday, May 5 to kick off the exhibit and again on Saturday, June 9.
Coming soon: More Wildfire Awareness Month tips
During May, Keep Oregon Green will promote wildfire prevention topics via traditional and social media each week to help homeowners and tourists learn how to ensure their outdoor activities do not spark the next wildfire. For more information, visit these websites:
Keep Oregon Green, www.keeporegongreen.org; Oregon Dept. of Forestry, www.oregon.gov/odf; Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal, www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/pages/index.aspx
Follow Oregon wildfire news and prevention updates on social media: Twitter @keeporegongreen, @ORDeptForestry and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/keeporegongreen; https://www.facebook.com/odfprevention/?fref=ts
About Keep Oregon Green Keep Oregon Green (KOG) is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that promotes programs and messages encouraging the public to work together in their local communities to prevent the risk of wildfire. Our work targets residents, particularly those in the wildland-urban interface, and recreationists using Oregon’s public and private lands.
