News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Despite a stark lesson learned last year when three houses and several outbuildings went up in flames, not all local residents have taken on the work Cloverdale Fire Chief Thad Olsen and other emergency officials say is critical: Homeowners must do their part to make their properties defensible, and they must be prepared for a crisis to hit with little warning.
“We aren’t going to commit firefighters to houses that are not defensible,” Chief Olsen told The Nugget last. “Basically, what we’re asking is, give us a fighting chance.”
That still holds true — and Cloverdale is still seeing houses that can’t be defended. Olsen told The Nugget last week that they are hearing from UPS and Fed/Ex drivers about driveways that aren’t cleared. If a delivery truck can’t make it up a driveway, a fire truck can’t, either.
The fire district recently sent out a flyer to remind residents of requirements:
Access roads shall have an unobstructed horizontal clearance (trees, limbs, brush and large rocks) of not less than 20 feet wide, and an unobstructed vertical clearance of 13.5 feet. Access roads shall be at least 12 feet wide and provide an all-weather road base (cinder, gravel, asphalt, etc.), that is reasonably smooth and free of protruding rocks and/or potholes. Turnarounds or cul-de-sacs shall have a minimum of 50 feet of turning radius with an all-weather road base. Refrain from placing rocks next to and along your driveway. Driveways longer than 150 feet shall provide an area for vehicles to meet and pass each other. A reflective address sign is
required.
Many rural properties have gates — and that can pose a problem:
“Gates must have a minimum width of 12 feet (over 12 feet is preferred) and set back from the road at least 30 feet,” the flyer noted. “Occupants must be aware that locked gates may delay or otherwise hinder our access to the property. Locked or electric gates are required to have a KnoxBox system installed for emergency responder access to your property.”
The Cloverdale Fire District, and Sisters Country in general, has had an easier fire season this year than in recent years — but that can change literally in an instant. Fire officials urge that local residents take immediate action to make sure their properties are accessible and defensible, so that firefighters have a fighting
chance.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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