Fire officials urge preparation

The coming fire season promises to be a dangerous one and fire officials are urging local residents to get prepared.

Creating defensible space around your home can give firefighters a chance to save it when fire intrudes as it did during the Cache Mountain fire at Black Butte Ranch last summer.

Central Oregon FireFree, a team composed of Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Wildland and Structural Fire Services, insurance agencies and other interest groups met in March at the Fire Training Center in Bend.

Their focus is to assist homeowners in creating 30 feet of defensible space around their structures in order to make property as "fire free" as possible.

Clearing the area of combustible materials is an individual responsibility. Discussions emphasized the importance of thinning or removing overcrowded or weakened trees and cutting back low-hanging branches.

Keeping grass and underbrush consistently cut ensures greater safety.

"Pine needles, leaves and especially juniper 'dust' on roofs, decks and in pavement cracks are potentially hazardous," said Firefighter Deanne Dement of Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District.

Shake roofs are prime targets for stray embers.

Residents are advised to consider treatment or replacement. It is also essential to move leftover building materials, woodpiles and other burnable materials away from all structures.

House numbers and street signs must be clearly visible from the road to allow emergency vehicles fast access.

Driveways have to be cleared of debris and brush which could possibly detain firefighters.

On Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, the Fryrear Road landfill will accept nonhazardous materials free of charge in support of the project.

The FireFree Cleanup dates at the Knott Landfill are the weekends of April 26-27 and May 3-4.

Among those in attendance at the FireFree conference were Cloverdale Fire Fighter Deanne Dement and Sisters Team Leader Don Rowe. Camp Sherman area leaders are Denise Wheeler and Jenny Pitman.

They will target Indian Ford, Squaw Creek Estates, Sage Meadow and Tollgate subdivisions.

For brochures on a fire resistant landscape plant list, contact Dan Derlacki at [email protected]