Sisters residents work on fire plan

Sisters area residents and officials from local fire agencies are developing a community fire plan to help head off catastrophic wildfires around local subdivisions. photo by Marcus Kauffman With snow dusting the peaks, the threat of wildfire seems far away. Yet more than 40 Sisters area residents attended the last of four community fire plan meetings on November 16 at the Sisters Fire Hall.

They received a briefing on a proposed greater Sisters community fire plan and offered their suggestions in the drafting of the plan.

Among suggestions made by those attending were to continue and increase fuels reduction on National Forest lands, particularly around subdivisions; to develop economic opportunities to utilize materials from forest thinning; and to improve communications to the public during major wildfires.

Goals of the plan are to reduce the risk of wildfire, to increase the greater Sisters community's ability to respond to wildfires if they do occur and to help the community obtain grants to support these efforts. Work started on the plan last March and it should be completed by March 2005.

More than half of those attending were residents of the Crossroads subdivision, but other residential areas were represented including Aspen Lakes, Camp Sherman and the City of Sisters. In the past three weeks, other public meetings were held at Black Butte Ranch, Cloverdale Fire Station and in Sisters.

Sponsors of the meetings were the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD), Black Butte Ranch Fire District and the Cloverdale RFPD. Other agencies participating in the fire plan are the Sisters Ranger District of the Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, Jefferson County Emergency Services, and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office -- Emergency Services.

Marcus Kauffman of the Watershed Research and Training Center at the University of Oregon is the project manager and is the facilitator for the planning group. The Bureau of Land Management provided an initial grant of $69,550 through the National Fire Plan for the preparation of the Sisters area plan.

"There was strong competition for grants to prepare this plan," Kauffman told those at the meeting. "The Sisters area was one of only six successful applicants approved out of 46 communities that applied."

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Chief Tay Robertson, Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony and Sisters City Administrator Eileen Stein each spoke briefly at the start of the two-hour session, explaining how they are working together.

"Working together, we have clout, much more than if each fire district or agency was working alone," Robertson explained.

Stein encouraged people to be aware of the economic impact that wildfires may have on the area. She pointed out the economic losses to Sisters when the 2003 B&B Complex Fire closed Highway 20 for two weeks.

Large maps were displayed at the meeting to show historic fire locations and where fuels reduction work was completed or planned on National Forest lands. There was consensus among speakers that while wildfires can and do spread in every direction, the greatest threat comes from the west because of prevailing summer winds from west to east.

Attendees were encouraged to offer their suggestions for specific areas that should be protected, other than residences.

The Headwaters of the Metolius, Three Creek Lake and Tam McArthur Rim, Pole Creek Trailhead and the U. S. Highway 20 approach to the City of Sisters were among areas mentioned.

Many comments supported increased fuels reduction on National Forest lands at the west edge of Crossroads. When this discussion ended, participants were invited to identify these specific locations of concerns on maps that were provided.

District Ranger Anthony expressed his concern for the hazard created by insect-killed forests along the eastern slope of the Three Sisters mountains. While much of that area is within dedicated wilderness where mechanical fuels reduction is prohibited, natural wildfires can be allowed to burn by prescription if weather and fuel conditions are favorable, he explained.

He added that air quality is impacted by all burning and prescribed fires are conducted to minimize smoke reaching populated areas.

Hazardous fuel conditions along the McKenzie Highway (242) going up the east slope of the Cascades were identified as a major concern, leading one person to suggest that consideration should be given to closing the popular scenic route.

Anthony explained that the highway was the responsibility of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Most in attendance doubted if serious consideration would be given to such a proposal.

Anthony responded to the concern regarding public communications during large wildfires by explaining that it usually takes 24 to 48 hours for an incident management team to be in place with enough personnel to do this job. He reported that the web page set up for the B&B Complex Fire seemed to be a popular and effective way of reaching local residents, although this service might not be available with every fire.

Those at the meeting supported the use of bulletin boards with maps and fire updates posted at Barclay Park and other locations as well as pubic meetings held at fire camps.

All speakers explained that with a final plan in place, the greater Sisters community will be in a good position to seek additional funding through the federal Community Wildfire Protection Plan to address the concerns identified in the Sisters plan.

"I was very pleased with the way the meeting went. I would like to capitalize on the momentum we've created," said facilitator Kauffman.

Also, speaking after the meeting, Chief Robertson said, "I was thrilled with the results of the meeting. We wanted public input for the plan and we received some great comments and suggestions."

For more information, visit the website of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District or contact Chief Tay Robertson at the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, 549-0771; Capt. Brett Smith at the Black Butte Ranch Rural Fire District, 595-2288; or Chief Chuck Cable, Cloverdale Rural Fire District, 548-4815.