Wildfires are an ecologically important part of the Northeast Oregon landscape. For Union County residents, it’s not if wildfire happens, but when. By working together, we can share the responsibility of understanding and preparing for wildfires. There are several easy ways we can become more wildfire resilient, including:
- creating defensible space around homes,
- maintaining healthy forests,
- and talking with our families and neighbors about emergency planning.
Interested in learning more about these and other wildfire risk reduction strategies? Check out the partners and resources below or contact the Union SWCD Firewise® Community Coordinator, Anna Lindquist at: alindquist@unionswcd.org
Firewise USA®
The Firewise Community Coordinator can help you and your neighbors through the process of becoming a Firewise® community. The Firewise® USA program is a nationally recognized organization focused on providing individuals and communities with the resources they need to ready their property and community against wildfire. Through Firewise®, neighbors work with partners to first understand their wildfire risk, and then collaborate on community-wide projects like creating evacuation plans, forest thinning and fuel breaks, and hosting fun and educational neighborhood events.
Union County Firewise® Partners
- Union County Emergency Services: Sign up for emergency notifications
- Rural Fire Protection Districts: Find your nearest fire station and fire protection district
- Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF): ODF foresters provide free technical assistance to private forest landowners and small woodland owners. Find your stewardship forester here
- Union County OSU-Extension: Connect with our local Forestry and Fire extension agents and find more educational resources
- NE Oregon Firewise®: Learn more about Firewise® communities in NE Oregon and Firewise® resources
- Oregon State Fire Marshal: Discover more about defensible space and sign up for a free home assessment
Other local forestry and conservation partners:
- Division of Financial Regulation: Wildfire Insurance Resources
- Find out more about the Statewide Oregon Wildfire Hazard Map and Senate Bill 762