Too often, when we think of wildfires in Oregon, we think of Southern Oregon or our coastal communities. This is natural; these are the towns and rural areas that have borne the major brunt of the fires, and the devastation has made the news and gotten well-deserved attention.
But the fires themselves, and the continuing threat of them -- and efforts of fire prevention -- are statewide.
Such is the case, notably, for The Blake Ranch community near Heppner in the eastern part of our State.
The Oregon Department of Forestry, along with other federal, state, local and community partners, helped Blake Ranch become recognized as a Firewise USA community starting earlier this year.
It has become the first Firewise USA community in Morrow County, and professional fire experts hope Blake Ranch will be the start of something bigger going forward.
“Congratulations to Blake Ranch residents for setting the stage for other Firewise communities to grow within Morrow County,” said Brandon Ferguson, Forest Resource Manager with ODF’s John Day Unit.
Leading by example is great. And another great lesson here? The people led the charge.
Prior to the applying to be a Firewise USA community, Blake Ranch residents were beginning to see the changes in wildfire behavior in their area.
Their remote location—16 miles southwest of Heppner—is prone to lightning-started wildfires, making it difficult to get firefighting resources to the scene quickly. This, along with the dangers posed by continuous buildup of fuels and forest health concerns, began the conversation among neighbors.
Several residents attended ODF and local fire department classes to become more educated on wildfire resiliency and be able to help inform fellow residents.
In December 2022, after a lot of work between community and interagency partners, Blake Ranch applied to become a Firewise USA community. It was quickly approved.
“Firewise USA is a community-led effort that requires resident buy-in to be successful. Cooperation between the community and their interagency partners is integral to making their hometown safer against wildfire,” said ODF Forest Officer Stacy Lauritsen, who helped Blake Ranch through the process to become a Firewise community. “Hopefully, Blake Ranch inspires other communities in Morrow County to look into the Firewise USA program for themselves.”
And it’s happening exactly as Lauritsen hoped! Currently, one other community in Morrow County is working toward Firewise recognition.
The Firewise USA program is headed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and provides a collaborative framework to help neighbors get organized, find direction, and take action to protect their homes and community from ignition risk and to reduce wildfire risks at the local level. It’s a great way for communities to connect beyond their borders.
If you or your community would like to learn more about the Firewise USA program, contact your local ODF office for more information.
Meanwhile, kudos to Blake Ranch, and its forward-looking residents! This is a timely lesson for us all: Namely, that individuals, working together, indeed have a multiplier effect…as proven at the foothills of the Blue Mountains.
