Lane County is updating its Community Wildfire Protection Plan and is asking for public input as it works to better understand how residents experience the impacts of wildfire and smoke. The CWPP guides emergency preparedness and wildfire response efforts and is part of a larger public outreach effort led by Lane County Emergency Management.
Brendan Irsfeld, an emergency coordinator with Lane County Emergency Management, explained that this survey follows a similar one conducted in 2020, with additional questions to reflect changes in the region’s wildfire landscape over the past five years.
Irsfeld said the updated survey asks residents about their preparedness for evacuations, including how they would manage evacuating from homes, workplaces, or schools during wildfire emergencies. The survey also gathers information on how residents perceive and respond to smoke and air quality issues, which have become increasingly common in the region.
Irsfeld said the results will help Lane County, which serves approximately 383,000 residents, prioritize areas where people may feel least prepared, allowing local agencies to allocate resources more effectively.
“The hope here with this survey is to give us a clue about where people are at, where they don’t feel prepared, and where we might need to focus more attention about our public outreach efforts,” said Irsfeld.
The survey is part of a broader, multi-year plan that includes a second survey later this year focused on what residents are doing on their properties to reduce wildfire risks. The next survey, set to launch in November, will address risk-reduction measures, such as defensible space and property management, and will seek input on what actions local governments should take to help mitigate wildfire hazards.
The survey is available in English and Spanish. It is open through Oct. 17, with the possibility of an extension depending on response rates.
