Black Butte Ranch strives to be fire free

Black Butte Ranch has had plenty of experience with wildfire. Residents and guests have had to evacuate multiple times due to wildfire looming close to the Ranch; in 2002 the Cache Mountain Fire actually stormed onto the ranch and burned two cabins.

In recent years, the Ranch has worked hard to become "fire free."

Dan Tucker, fire chief at the Ranch since 1986, has been involved since the beginning.

"When I first came here, things were different," Tucker said. "People didn't do a lot. Since wildfires were in the area, people have done more cleanup and the Ranch itself has done a lot of cleanup in the common areas. There are always some who resist, but on the whole every one is very positive."

Oregon Senate Bill 360 offers a lever to encourage wildfire protection. It defines defensible space around a home as a 30-foot fuel break, plus a 20-foot secondary fuel break, or to the property line.

"The biggest issue is the lots are small," Tucker said, "so to cover the distance for Senate Bill 360 is not possible. You also have to maintain the look of BBR."

The Ranch's focus on being fire free has changed some of the rules for homeowners.

"When I first came here, shake roofs were required. Lawns were a no-no," Tucker stated. "Now people have landscaping and fire-resistant plants. Shake roofs are no longer allowed on new construction."

Rodger Gabrielson, a BBR resident for 12 years, has been heavily involved with making the Ranch fire free. Gabrielson started the lot certification program and is president of the board of directors of the BBR Fire Department.

Gabrielson saw the need for an assessor certification program to train volunteer assessors to evaluate homes. There are three parts to being BBR-certified: modified Senate Bill 360 compliance; a tree density element; and a noxious weed component. Full compliance is mandatory by the end of December 2011.

Trees are marked for health, safety and vigor. Assessors mark trees they think are a hazard, or are competing for water and light. Another group goes out to pull weeds, inspect yards for noxious weeds and make recommendations as to whether the weeds should be pulled or sprayed.

"It's made a big difference in the landscape here at BBR," Gabrielson stated. "There are 1,251 residential lots (not including condominiums) on the Ranch. Of those, about 1,230 are residences, and only 20 are un-built. We've inspected 850."

There are about 50 accredited assessors at the Ranch, 200 in Central Oregon overall.

"I collaborated with Tom Andrade (Oregon Department of Forestry) to do this program and thought we needed to do more," Gabrielson said.

Andrade, who is the Interface Specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry, taught a three-hour class in June to BBR residents on how to certify that homes meet the standards for defensibility. Assessors learn about fire ecology, how the ecology rules apply to the Ranch, and finish by assessing two homes for fire safety.

"Assessors represent a homeowners group or member of fire department or contractors e.g. landscaping or arborists," Andrade said. "We need people like that. They act as an intermediary."

Contrary to what many people fear, trees do not have to be cut as long as they are healthy. The important thing is to get bushes away from the bottom of trees to eliminate the ladder affect.

The program has wide acceptance.

"In many areas of our state," Andrade said, "a lot of people view the fire free programs with resentment. There are places in the state where we've had to put a lot more energy into it. Here in Central Oregon, it's different. People have rallied behind it. We've had home losses here and people ask about what we can do. It's a much more receptive atmosphere. Now insurance guys are going to the meetings and saying this makes sense and they're looking long range."