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The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC), in partnership with Crook County Fire and Rescue, Oregon Department of Forestry and Crook County Emergency Management, is launching a new effort to help Crook County residents protect their property from wildfire threat. Participants will work in neighborhood teams to create defensible space and reduce the risk of fire in and around their homes and businesses. COIC staff will work with Crook Country Fire and Rescue and Oregon Department of Forestry personnel to help residents identify fire risks in their neighborhood, create a simple community protection plan, and organize a community action day. All participants will have the option to become a certified Firewise USA Community. Today, there are roughly 1,500 Firewise communities around the country and 156 in Oregon.
In fall of 2018, Dry Creek Airpark utilized the program to become the first certified Firewise community in Crook County. When asked why Dry Creek decided to apply for Firewise certification, resident Dick Rohaly said, “We placed a big importance on being part of a certified program that would encourage neighbors in our community to follow something tangible and not just be a one shot deal.”
Dry Creek resident Bob Bronson added, “Individuals are responsible for their own properties, and that’s the first place that they need to protect.” Neighbors like Rohaly and Bronson led the effort in their community, utilizing their homeowner’s association meetings to make decisions, develop an action plan and educate their friends and neighbors. They included both private property and common areas in their action plan, and found success with an early demonstration of fuels reduction work in a common area.
“We trimmed up the trees and cleared the brush in that small area. We did it over three weeks and people could immediately see the benefit of it.” Bronson recalls. As demonstrated by Dry Creek, residents can play a vital role in community protection by taking simple steps to prepare their homes and property for wildfire.
To support this program, COIC and our partners have created a new public education resource titled Crook County: Are you Fire Ready? Residents of Crook County can pick up the booklet free of charge at the Crook County Fire Administration building, or download a free .pdf copy at FireReady.co.crook.or.us.
If you are a Crook County resident interested in learning more about this program, COIC will be hosting a free information session at the Crook County Library on Wednesday, January 23 from 5-6pm.
For information contact COIC Program Coordinator Janel Ruehl at jruehl@coic.org or 541-548-9527.
