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Oregon Fire Marshall kicks off wildfire preparedness webinar series starting with home protection

A house model shows areas of concern when mitigating home ignition during wildfire.
The Office of the State Fire Marshall
A house model shows areas of concern when mitigating home ignition during wildfire.

If a wildfire strikes near you, are you prepared? The Office of the State Fire Marshall wants you to be. They’re kicking off a series of webinars to help Oregonians lower their risk of home ignition.

“When a wildfire strikes, we don’t just throw up our hands and say ‘oh well!’” There are things we can do to prepare.”

Alison Green works with the State Fire Marshall. She says the first webinar will focus on the home and the initial 100 feet around it. When fire-proofing, it’s best to start with the roof, the most vulnerable part of the house. Clear out gutters of dry leaves and pine needles.

The roof is the most vulnerable part of the home in a wildfire.
The Office of the State Fire Marshall
The roof is the most vulnerable part of the home in a wildfire.

Then look at what is growing around your home. And remember the mantra: “Lean clean and green. So well irrigated, it’s healthy vegetation and that it’s cut low so that it doesn’t have huge flame lengths that come off of it- if it does ignite,” Green said.

OSFM Fire Risk Reduction Specialists expect to hold an educational webinar each month leading up to fire season. Tickets for the first webinar are going fast so they plan to record the event and post it on social media.

To register:

Wildfire Risk Reduction Webinar - What is the Home Ignition Zone?

Thursday, March 31st, 2022

6:00PM – 7:00PM

Register through Eventbrite

The webinar will be recorded for those unable to attend.

More webinars will be scheduled over the coming months. The OSFM Fire Risk Reduction Specialists will be hosting discussions on various topics, including the importance of creating defensible space, wildfire prevention tips, and evacuation readiness.

Green said they plan to have wildfire survivors as a part of these events. She added neighborhood and community preparedness is key to residential protection from wildfire.

Tiffany joined the KLCC News team in 2007. She studied journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia and worked in a variety of media including television, technical writing, photography and daily print news before moving to the Pacific Northwest.