Fire prevention program helps make BBR safer

Lightning may not strike twice in the same place, but it always strikes, and often in Central Oregon. And with it come the inevitable fires, such as the one that ignited on Black Butte last week.

The fire eventually spread to 578 acres, affecting habitat, wildlife and federal forest esthetics. The Black Butte II fire has now cooled off, smoke has diminished and the tankers and helicopter have eased their constant and expensive pounding of the fire area.

However, the casual hand of Mother Nature, able to randomly destroy, reminds Sisters area residents of the need to take measures before catastrophe strikes.

Nowhere is this more apparent than at Black Butte Ranch, a community that has been evacuated twice - and on alert repeatedly - in the past few years, because of forest fires.

Operating under the wing of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), BBR has an active program to reduce wildfire impact, led by volunteer resident Rodger Gabrielson. He said 35 volunteers at BBR have been trained by ODF to inspect homes at the Ranch for compliance with state fire prevention standards.

To date, 1,013 of 1,251 lots have been inspected. Of those, 750 passed, Gabrielson said.

Those that failed will be able to reapply for certification after correcting deficiencies.

The Oregon Legislature recognized in 1997 that more and more homes were built in or near forests, and an education and training program was needed. SB 360 was passed to fill that need because of the many homes destroyed or threatened by wildfire, the risk to firefighters and the high cost of fire suppression.

Tom Andrade, interface specialist for ODF, based in Sisters, was brought on board five years ago to administer the program in Central Oregon. He describes the program as "grass roots," relying on volunteers such as Gabrielson to make the program work. Andrade provides the training and expertise for the volunteers.

He brings 37 years of experience to the job, including a long career with the Forest Service. He said Deschutes County and Sisters are about 70 percent certified. He noted that all homes except the urban core of Sisters are eligible.

However, he is quick to point out the law has no "hammer," except the homeowners' desire to protect their property. There is no fine as reported by some media, he said, but there is a provision to charge a homeowner up to $100,000 for firefighting costs if the home is not certified by the program.

Andrade said one major effort of the fire prevention program is to create an area around each home that will prevent ember showers from igniting fuel sources at the site. The most significant source is often pine needles on a wooden roof or on a wooden deck. Another is firewood stacked against a wall or under a deck. Other fuel sources are building materials near a home, and untended plants or grass.

One misconception, he pointed out, is that trees usually do not have to be removed near a home if they are healthy. Green trees are fire resistant and create shade that cools the possible fire area and can actually be a fire barrier and help intercept embers.

Reducing fuel for fires by pruning trees and plants, moving firewood during the summer, cleaning pine needles from roofs, decks and the ground, are great ways to reduce the risk of fire damage, he noted. Andrade says the change he has seen at BBR in the past five years is "remarkable." He noted that the resort and retirement community was started at a time when people weren't thinking as much about wildfires and potential hazards.

Gabrielson received an award from BBR for forming and recruiting volunteers at the ranch. Other developments, such as Aspen Lakes, were started later and with more thought and awareness of fire issues, Andrade pointed out.

Cascade Meadow Ranch, west of Sisters, has also earned recognition for its efforts to secure itself from wildfire.

The ODF office is at 114 W. Washington St. in Sisters, or call 549-6761 for information.