SALEM, Ore. – Oregon continues to be at the forefront in local communities working to reduce their risk of wildfire through the national Firewise program. A total of 182 communities across the state took action last year to lower their risk in a variety of projects from cutting brush to thinning overcrowded stands of trees, to clearing brush away from evacuation routes and promoting education and outreach. This places Oregon in second place nationally for number of Firewise communities.
Almost two dozen of those places were new Firewise communities. They were:
The Oregon Department of Forestry’s National Fire Plan Coordinator, Jenna Trentadue, who manages the Firewise program in Oregon said, “Staff in our local ODF offices partner with fire departments to work with communities across the state to organize projects or activities that reduce wildfire risk. Through this process, those communities become designated as Firewise.”
To achieve the designation, communities must have at least eight participating dwelling units and conduct at least one event or activity related to reducing fire risk. Firewise is a nationwide program of the National Fire Protection Association.
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