In the Event of a Wildfire

If you live in the country, wildfire can pose a significant threat to your home and property. As the climate changes, and areas of forested areas become drier, it is important to think about how best to prepare your family, your animals, your home, and your trees and woodlands for the possibility wildfire. Knowing who to call on if there is a fire on your property and what your responsibilities are is all part of being prepared.

Preparation

Wildfire
Courtesy of National Wildland Fire Training

Preparing your property for wildfire involves removing, reducing or replacing combustible materials around your property and home. The US Fire Administration has an excellent brochure, Wildfire… Are You Prepared? covering all the basics. Another comprehensive publication is Living with Fire: A Guide for the Homeowner covering how fires work and how to prepare for them. Planting fire resistant plants is also an excellent way to help mitigate potential damage if a fire comes your way.

Preparation also means having a plan (which has been practiced) in place for what to do in the event of a wildfire. OSU has published an excellent paper on Preparing Your Family for Emergencies, which covers not only wildfire, but other natural and man-made emergencies.

Prevention

As they say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." That is nowhere more true than in the case of fire. Taking all possible steps to avoid a fire in the first place is the best course of action.

Debris burning is one of the leading causes of wildfires. Instead of burning debris, consider chipping or recycling. However, if burning is your only option, be sure to:

Call your local fire district before you burn to make sure buring is allowed and to get a permit (if required)
Know the weather forecast, especially the expected winds
If using a burn barrel, cover it with 1/4" screen, and keep it away from structures, overhanging branches or vehicles
Keep piles small; add to the fire gradually to keep control
Make sure the fire is completely out (drown! stir! drown!) and monitor for at least 2 hours

Also, see this Safe Debris Burning video.

Vehicle use, smoking and recreational/camping fires and other leading causes of wildfires. Be careful with vehicle use in the woods, especially during extremely dry times of year. Don't smoke in the woods; if you do smoke outdoors, extinguish all smoking material and put it in your pocket (or otherwise take it home with you) - don't throw it on the ground. If you allow any camping or campfires on your property, be sure the fires are carefully monitored and fully extinguished.

Who Do You Call?

The majority of people live within city boundaries, and call their local fire department (via 911 in an emergency) in the case of fire. However, if you live outside city limits in an un-incorporated portion of the county, have land classed as forestland, or are in an area designated as a "forest-urban interface", your responsibilities and who to call can vary.

Before a fire (as part of your preparation), be sure to find out who would fight a fire on your property if it occurred. Call your city, county and/or the Oregon Department of Forestry to get the information. That same agency will probably be the one to issue permits for any debris or other burning and to control when burning may take place.

Other Legal Issues

Permits

Most of the time, in most areas, permits are required for outdoor burning. Failure to have a proper permit can result in fines.

Forestland-Urban Interface

Lands that are within a county that are also inside an Oregon Department of Forestry protestion district, that meet the state's definition of "forestland" and meet the definition of "surburban" or "urban" may be designated as Forestland-urban interface areas. There is a detailed process to so designate lands, but if your land is within a forestland-urban interface, that's very important!

If you are located in an area designated by the county as in the "forest-urban interface," you are required by law to lessen the risk of fire on your property and around your home. ODF provides a Property Evaluation & Self Certification Guide to help a property owner evaluate a property and structure’s vulnerability to damage or destruction by wildfire, and choose measures which will make a property compliant with the standards of the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act.

When a property is classed as being within a forestland-urban interface, ODF provides information and a certification card, which may be signed and returned to ODF after the fuel-reduction standards have been met. Returning the card is important! It relieves a property owner from the act’s fire cost-recovery liability which takes effect on properties that are within a forestland-urban interface area and for which a certification card has not been received by the Department of Forestry. In these situations, the state of Oregon may seek to recover certain fire suppression costs from a property owner if a fire originates on the owner's property, the fuel reduction standards have not been met, and ODF incurs extraordinary suppression costs. The cost-recovery liability under the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act is capped at $100,000.

See the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act for more information.

Forestland

Land classified as forestland falls under the Oregon Department of Forestry for fire protection. Permits for burning, equipment use and certain activities may be required by ODF during certain times of year. Restrictions may be mandated depending on fire threat levels, especially during the dry summer months. In certain circumstances, the landowner can be held accountable for up to $300,000 in fire-fighting costs.

The Oregon Small Woodlands Association offers a Fire and Liability Insurance option for its members.

Oregon Wildfire History

To gain a better understanding of the historical aspects of wildfires in Oregon, check out A Short History of Wildland/Urban Interface Fires in Oregon.

The Oregon Forest Resource Institute's special report on Fire In Oregon's Forests explains the rists, effects and treatment options on a broad basis.