Emmy winner and actor Ty Burrell, a native of Grants Pass and perhaps familiar to many of you through the television show Modern Family, is the spokesperson kicking off Keep Oregon Green’s Wildfire Awareness Month this May. The goal is for people be aware and prepare for the fire season to come.
Keep Oregon Green, in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local fire agencies and organizations, celebrates May as the ideal month to create defensible space around homes before fire season and prevent the start of careless, harmful wildfires this summer.
The idea is to protect what you love, both your own home and the community around you.
The unfortunate truth is that each year, more than 70% of Oregon’s wildfires are started by people. Many are a result of escaped fires from debris burn piles or gas-powered equipment casting sparks or catching fire.
During the 2022 season, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported that people were directly responsible for sparking 616 wildfires that burned 1,255 acres. Any spark can gain traction in dry fuels, spread quickly and impact lives, personal property, and Oregon’s scenic landscapes. Proper education is key to wildfire prevention.
So, it’s time to put your Smokey Hat on!
During the month of May, Keep Oregon Green will begin releasing five new public service announcements to help raise awareness of fire risks.
New wildfire prevention topics will be shared throughout the campaign to help homeowners, campers, workers, and recreationists learn how to prevent their outdoor activities from sparking the next wildfire. We’ll keep you posted with the highlights!
In speaking with Kristin Babbs, President and CEO of Keep Oregon Green, who spearheads the project, she informed us about a slightly different angle to this public approach.
She says, “We’ve only released one of the five spots that are going to be slowly released throughout the summer. I am paying to boost the first one on social media right now and the Oregon Association of Broadcasters will also be sending all of them to their member stations to air on TV and radio around the state. Ty will not be doing any appearances. We simply asked for his narration talent for these spots.”
She continues, “I like the campaign! It’s different for us in that we are using humor this time around. The theme came from a press release a few years back, during critical August hot weather, when we asked the public to put their Smokey hat on and do their best to prevent wildfires. I opted to turn that theme into a full campaign for fire season 2023.”
The ads feature Burrell, and will encourage Oregonians and tourists to keep wildfire safety in mind while enjoying the outdoors.
A true local, Burrell was born in Grants Pass, grew up in Applegate and Ashland, and graduated from Hidden Valley High School in Grants Pass.
He understands the risk of wildfire and smoke that threatens our health and beautiful landscapes each year, and as a previous bartender at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, he realizes how much smoke and fires can wreck not only homes and communities but also the local economy.
For those who oversee workers, or are in community firewatch groups, or in a neighborhood collective, new campaign artwork, PSAs, and additional wildfire safety tips can be found at keeporegongreen.org or its various social media platforms.
The billboards promoting the campaign are already around Southern Oregon, and this is clearly a professional rollout that will no doubt have a very positive influence on the State and your local community.
At CRT, we are proud to wear our Smokey Hats…it’s a cool look, be part of it :)
