Close Call in Shevlin Park Reminds Residents to Prepare Now

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Alison Green, Program Director

                     Project Wildfire, FireFree

                     541-419-1116

Yesterday’s Shevlin Fire provided a timely reminder that residents should be prepared for wildfire at a moments notice. You can prepare for wildfire by creating and maintaining your home’s defensible space and having an evacuation kit ready for your family. With especially dry and hot conditions across Central Oregon, the potential for large wildfires is increasing daily. Central Oregon is now in fire season and YOU are our greatest resource when it comes to protecting homes and neighborhoods. With some simple steps you are able to protect your home and community from a wildfire.

Remember to keep your defensible space defined (30 feet), keep grass and weeds cut low and always be prepared to respond to wildfire. With this in mind, Project Wildfire urges you to take a look around your property in the “home ignition zone” where glowing embers can ignite spot fires and vulnerable areas like decks, patios and fences that can spread flames to your home. The greatest risk of homes catching fire during a wildland fire event is from the advancing ember shower that can reach your property long before an actual flame front. 

 “The strong winds that are produced by a large fire can push embers up to 3 miles away. These embers are “firebrands” that can ignite items such as patio furniture cushions, pine needles on your roof and weeds that have grown too tall,” says Alison Green, Program Coordinator for Project Wildfire.  “Firefighting resources are limited locally so it’s up to individual residents to take responsibility for the defensible space around their homes and outbuildings,” she adds.

To address this threat fire professionals recommend the following steps that homeowners can take right now to help protect themselves against this very real threat in central Oregon:

·       Cut all grasses and weeds to 4” or less.

·       Clear all pine needles, weeds, leaves and flammable debris from around your home including on roofs; in gutters; near fences; and on, around and under decks – anywhere where glowing embers can ignite and spread fire to your home.

·       Reduce shrubs and other “ladder fuels” around your home that can spread fire to nearby trees or structures.

·       Trim up trees to prevent the spread of fire to the upper branches, or “crowns”.

·       Remove all dead, dying and diseased vegetation around your home – maintain healthy trees and shrubs.

·       Move wood piles at least 30 feet from your home and away from combustible materials or vegetation.

·       Keep driveways clear by trimming trees and cutting weeds for easy access of emergency equipment.

With the start of fire season in Central Oregon, having an evacuation kit ready for your family is a key piece of being prepared. Have your 5 P’s: People, Pets, Pills, Photos, important Papers, and your 72-hour kit ready to go. Make sure your 72-hour kit has: a flashlight with extra batteries, first aid kit, phone chargers, prescription pills, eyeglasses, any essential equipment for infants/elderly, water, sleeping bags, clothing for each family member, important documents and your 5P’s. Keep these things in a spot in your home that is easily accessed so you can leave in a hurry.

“We never want to think an evacuation could happen to us. But in our fire adapted ecosystem, it’s not if but when we should be prepared to respond to wildfire”, Green, explains.

Visit www.firefree.org for more information about how you can prepare your property for wildfire season and Plan, Prep, Go guide.  Or call the Project Wildfire office at 541-322-7129. 

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Update on the Shevlin Fire

Crews are expected remain on scene through Friday to ensure that there are no flare ups.  Drivers are urged to use caution in the area, as there will still be some large firefighting equipment moving around the scene.

The fire, which started near the Tumalo Irrigation intake on Tumalo Creek, within the confines of Shevlin Park, burned 8-10 acres before being controlled by crews from Bend Fire, Oregon Department of Forestry, BLM and the Deschutes National Forest.  A BLM helicopter provided several water drops and a large air tanker circled the scene for about an hour before finally being released from the area.

A mutual aid task force from departments around the county were requested and dispatched.  These units patrolled through the subdivisions to the south of the fire.

During the incident, Shevlin Park Road was closed near McClain Road and three subdivisions south of the park were placed on a Level 1 Evacuation advisory.  At the height if the incident, it is estimated that 90 people were on scene, although the number was reduced to 40 overnight, after the fire was contained.

Evening update from Central Oregon Dispatch

Firefighters picked up six new wildfires today across Central Oregon, making a total of 17 wildfire incidents reported since Tuesday morning.

 

Most of those fires are small, lightning-caused wildfires with fire suppression responses underway.

 

A fire reported around 1:30 p.m. today at Shevlin Park in Bend was estimated at 8 to 10 acres with no new growth expected at the time of this update. Multiple agencies responded to the brush fire on state-administered land and a Level 1 pre-evacuation notice was issued to adjacent neighborhoods by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. 

 

Visit Deschutes County’s Facebook pages for the latest Shevlin Fire news tonight:

Deschutes County main page: www.facebook.com/Deschutes.County

9-1-1: www.facebook.com/Deschutes911<http://www.facebook.com/Deschutes911>

 

 

Crews today made significant progress on two lightning-caused wildfires located on private and BLM-administered lands near Twickenham, approximately 14 miles southeast of Fossil, Ore. Incident 169 is about 150 acres and completely surrounded by retardant line. Interior burning continues to produce smoke but firefighters anticipate no new growth on the fire.

 

Incident 177, located nearby, remains estimated at 50 acres. Fire crews and a helicopter dropping retardant continue to build a line around the fire.

 

Both fires are burning in juniper, grass, and brush fuel types across steep terrain and drainages.

 

On the Deschutes National Forest, firefighters have completed a line around a 25-acre wildfire burning in steep timber and brush approximately 9 miles west of Sunriver and 10 miles south of Mt. Bachelor. 

 

The fire is determined to be human-caused, but there is no more information available at this time.

Evening update from Central Oregon Dispatch

Firefighters in Central Oregon are currently responding to multiple incidents, many the result of recent lightning activity that accompanied yesterday’s thunderstorms across the region.

 

The largest incident is a 100-acre lightning-caused wildfire near Twickenham, approximately 14 miles southeast of Fossil, Ore. Incident 177 is burning in juniper, grass and brush fuels on both private and BLM-administered land. The fire suppression response includes multiple engines and smokejumpers.

 

On the Deschutes National Forest, firefighters are responding to Incident 172, approximately 9 miles west of Sunriver and 10 miles south of Mt. Bachelor. The 7-acre fire is burning in timber and brush. Multiple firefighters are hiking into the fire and a Type 2 helicopter is in response. Cause of the fire is undetermined.

 

Firefighters are currently responding to multiple other, small, lightning-caused single-tree fires across the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Prineville BLM. 

 

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for much of Central Oregon, to remain in effect through 8pm Friday. A Red Flag warning indicates a high likelihood for critical fire weather behavior, which includes strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures.

Register Your Phone for Emergency Notifications

Have you registered your cell phone for emergency notifications? Now it the time to get your phone in the system before there is an emergency. Step 10 of FireFree is being prepared to respond to wildfire, being in the loop for notifications is a large part of being prepared.

Emergency Notification Link

If you have not put together your emergency kit visit Project Wildfire's website for the Deschutes County Evacuation guide that has all kinds of tips and tricks on how to build your kit.

Evacuation Guide Link

CNN Story: Stop Expecting Firefighters to Save Your Homes

Very insightful article calling for personal responsibility regarding homeowners preparing for fire season. Making sure that all parties are prepared, firefighters and homeowners in the WUI, will ensure that everyone goes home safely.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/27/opinions/dickman-wildfire-threat/

City of Bend & Bend Fire Take on Defensible Space

It's Project Wildfire's partners that make our organization so successful. Without our local partners engaging in wildfire preparedness and carrying that message, Central Oregon would not be a national and regional leader in Fire Adapted Communities.

City of Bend and Bend Fire talk about the importance of defensible space in this 3 minute video. Take 3 minutes to watch and get ready for fire season! Prepare now before there is smoke of the horizon.


The dates for FireFree can be found at firefree.org or on our FireFree tab here on our blog.

Bark Mulch Demonstration With KTVZ

Bend Fire & Project Wildfire partnered to create a demonstration to show the flammability potential of bark mulch. Bark mulch can be susceptible to cigarette butts & embers from a wildfire.

Demonstration: bark dust a danger during fire season










The roof and the first 5 feet between your home and the surrounding fuels can make or break the chances of your home surviving a wildfire. Get ready for fire season now!


Go to firefree.org for tips and tricks on getting your home ready for fire season.

Great Grant Opportunity Below!!

News Release

Up to $100,000 available for Central Oregon woodland owners to reduce wildfire risk, create healthier forests

Submit applications to the Natural Resources Conservation Service by May 22

Release No. 2015.04.027

Contact:

Tom Bennett, Resource Conservationist

541-923-4358, x123, Tom.Bennett@or.usda.gov

Tracy Robillard, Public Affairs Specialist

503-414-3220, Tracy.Robillard@or.usda.gov

Portland, Ore. (April 27, 2015) -- The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces up to $100,000 in funding available for woodland owners in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties to improve the health of their woods and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

Interested landowners should submit applications to the USDA Redmond Service Center by May 22 to be considered for financial assistance.

The funding is available only to private, non-industrial woodland owners and will be primarily used to perform pre-commercial thinning on private forestlands. This is a popular conservation practice that involves removing smaller, unhealthy trees within dense and overcrowded woods. The funding will also support other related conservation practices, such as woody residue treatment and forest pruning.

“By thinning timber stands in dense forests, we remove the excess vegetation that provides fuel for wildfires to spread higher into the canopy -- where wildfire causes the most damage,” said Tom Bennett, NRCS resource conservationist. “Fires in overstocked stands are hotter, harder to fight, and are more likely to kill all the trees.”

“Thinning also promotes more organic matter in the soil and leads to stronger, healthier trees,” Bennett said. “The remaining trees are less prone to disease and bugs, and are more drought tolerant.”

Eligible landowners may receive payments as high as $400 per acre to treat a heavy timber stand, depending on the types of practices applied and the forest density.

The funding is provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a voluntary conservation program authorized by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill. Read more about EQIP eligibility and application requirements on the NRCS Oregon EQIP webpage.

NRCS will rank applications and prioritize them based on significant impacts to forest resources and wildfire threats to local communities. Priority areas include high-density forests around the cities of Bend, Sisters and La Pine in Deschutes County, and residential developments in Crook and Jefferson counties.

“We are focusing on areas where there is a higher need to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk to protect life, property, and public infrastructure,” Bennett said.

NRCS is partnering with the Oregon Department of Forestry to treat at-risk forestlands in the tri-county area. The two agencies estimate there are approximately 2,500 acres of overstocked, privately owned forests in these high-priority areas that could benefit from this project. NRCS aims to treat 60 percent of those acres between 2013 and 2017.

For more information about this and other NRCS programs and funding in Deschutes, Crook or Jefferson counties, contact the USDA Redmond Service Center at 541-923-4358 or email Tom.Bennett@or.usda.gov. The Redmond Service Center is located at 625 SE Salmon Avenue, Suite 4, in Redmond, Oregon.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)

Local contact information is located in the telephone book under the federal government listing or can be found online at:  www.or.nrcs.usda.gov.

Prescribed Burns Today & Tomorrow on the Deschutes National Forest

Beginning tomorrow and continuing through Friday, fuels specialists on the Deschutes National Forest intend to ignite several prescribed burns across the forest starting in the southern portion of the forest near Two Rivers North Subdivision, then moving north to Sunriver area and Camp Sherman/Metolius Meadows on Friday.

If conditions remain favorable on Thursday, ignitions totaling 258 acres will be divided between two distinct areas near the intersection of Highways 97 and 58 proximate to the Two Rivers North subdivision. Thirty-three acres are planned to be burned just east of the Two Rivers North subdivision and 225 acres are planned to be burned approximately 1 mile south of the Two Rivers North subdivision. Because these prescribed fires fall within the boundary of the Walker Range Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a specific project objective is to reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface.

On Friday, fuels specialists will be burning 3 units near Sunriver. The first is a 61 acre section adjacent to and east of Sunriver along County Road 40. The next one totals 40 acres and will take place 1 mile northwest of Sugar Pine Butte along Forest Road 9720. If weather conditions remain favorable, fuels specialists will attempt the final, 12 acre burn ½ mile southeast of the High Desert Museum. If this burn is not completed on Friday, fuels specialists will come back and complete it on Monday if conditions allow.  These burns are located within the congressionally designated Deschutes Skyline Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration which receives funding towards accelerated forest restoration and is part of an Oregon State University study evaluating short and long term effects of four silviculture treatments on stand structural development. The objective for these burns is to reduce fuels and restore forest health in areas that were historically maintained by frequent low intensity fire. 

Also on Friday, fuels specialists in Sisters will be burning a 186 acre unit approximately 1 ½ miles northwest of Camp Sherman/Metolius between Forest Road 12 and 1420. The objective of this burn is to minimize the risk of high intensity wildfire and reduce hazardous fuels within the wildland urban interface.

No road closures are anticipated with any of the projects although drivers can expect road flaggers on Road 40 into Sunriver during periods of time where dense smoke may limit visibility. Smoke from the operations near the Two Rivers North subdivision could be visible from Highways 58 and 97 as well as County Road 61.  Smoke from the operations near Camp Sherman could be visible to the communities of Camp Sherman and visitors to House on the Metolius. If smoke drifts on to local roads, motorists should slow down, turn on headlights, and proceed with care. 

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.  Once ignited, units are monitored and patrolled until they are declared out. 

It's FireFree Time!

FireFree is right around the corner in Deschutes and Jefferson Counties. The time to prepare for fire season is now!

Follow these 10 easy steps to protect your home from wildfire. 

Blog by NFPA's Lucian Deaton highlights an important point.

THE NEW YEAR OPENED WITH A WILDFIRE, and its impact was familiar. During the week of January 4, a 31,000-acre wildfire sparked by lightning and fanned by strong winds ran through residential and interface areas. Volunteer fire services fought to control the blaze, and at its height more than a dozen aircraft were engaged in its suppression. Rain at week’s end brought the mixed blessing of wet conditions that helped bring the fire under control, but also lightning that ignited additional grass fires. In the end, 27 homes were destroyed or damaged and 130 outbuildings were lost. There were no human fatalities, but there were more than 100 reported smoke-related injuries. Thousands were evacuated from residential areas. Livestock and wildlife were not as lucky.

To many readers, the timing of this fire might seem odd given that most of the United States was in an artic freeze in early January. If we flip the globe upside down, though, we realize that there is no off-season for wildfire—it’s high summer in Australia, and the Adelaide Hills fires of early January burned in the suburban areas northeast of the city of Adelaide. With dry weather, high winds, and temperatures of 95 degrees Fahrenheit and above, it’s easy to imagine fire conditions like those found in Colorado, California, or Georgia last summer, or to contemplate our own coming fire season just months away.

For the full article please visit here: http://www.nfpa.org/newsandpublications/nfpa-journal/2015/march-april-2015/columns/wildfire-watch

As West burns, local forests get scorched of resources

This is a great article that addresses the budget considerations that arise from "fire borrowing". It has some great points about the Catch-22 we find ourselves in. Great quote in the article from Danny Lee,

"..if you want to understand what's happening to the trees and the forest

and the fish and wildlife that inhabit it, you have to understand fire."

Please see the read the whole article at Citizen Times.

Prescribed burns continue in Maury Mountains Today

Prescribed Burns Continue in Maury Mountains Today.

Fire managers will take advantage of favorable weather conditions today to continue 
jackpot burning in the Maury Mountains southeast of Prineville. Jackpot burning is 
part of a hazardous fuels reduction program that addresses high concentrations of 
naturally-occurring or thinning-related downed woody debris.

The West Maury Jackpot Burning project will cover about 500 acres spread out across 
multiple units approximately 12 miles southeast of Post, Ore. Crews completed around 
170 acres of jackpot burning in the Maury Mountains at the end of February before snow
 halted the project. Plans also call for jackpot burning on the Crooked River National 
Grassland this spring.

The Grassland Jackpot Burning project will cover about 500 acres on units between 5
 and 15 miles southwest and southeast of Madras, Ore.

The goals for both projects include improvement of wildlife habitat and range conditions, 
and the reduction of hazardous fuels. Light smoke will be visible during ignition periods 
but no impacts to major highways are expected. Fuels specialists follow policies outlined 
in the Oregon Smoke Management Plan, which governs prescribed fires (including pile 
burning) and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health. 

Prescribed Fires Planned for Today

Prescribed Burn Planned on the Sisters Ranger District Near Cold Springs Campground 

SISTERS – Given favorable weather conditions, Deschutes National Forest fuel specialists on the Sisters Ranger District plan to conduct a prescribed burn beginning as early as Tuesday, March 10. 

The prescribed fire area is 3 miles west of Sisters and ½ mile north of the Cold Springs Campground. The 160 acre “SAFR” unit is also approximately 2 miles south of Black Butte Ranch.

The prescribed fire objectives include modifying fuel arrangements in historically fire-adapted ecosystems, improving wildlife habitat, and minimizing the potential of future high intensity wildfires. 

The communities of Black Butte Ranch and Cascade Meadow Ranch could be impacted by smoke as a result this project.  Due to the location of these units, the public could see smoke and drivers may experience smoke impacts on nearby highways and Forest roads. For all prescribed fires, signs will be posted on significant nearby Forest roads and state highways that could be impacted.  No road closures are anticipated with these projects.

Fuels specialists will follow policies outlined in the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan, which governs prescribed fires, and attempts to minimize impacts to visibility and public health.

An Early Start to Fire Season

Washington's Fire Season Starts off with a 150-acre fire

The fire season jumped out of the starting gate early with a 150 acre wild land fire west of Sprague near Downs Lake Saturday afternoon. Gusty winds fanned the flames, making it difficult for Spokane County Fire District 3 firefighters to battle the blaze. The fire was contained to Miller Ranch, a hunting ranch located at 25010 W. Martin Road.

For more info on this fire visit: Spokesman Review's Story

Fire season is going to be here before we know it and it has already arrived in areas nearby. Get prepared for fire season by checking out the 10 FireFree steps and Fire Adapted Communities website to find out how to become more Fire Adapted.

FireFree Dates

  

Reduce the risk of losing your home to wildfire and take advantage of FREE yard debris disposal at local collection sites.

Create and maintain defensible space around your home and recycle your needles, branches, brush, shrubs and limbs for FREE!

Bend

Knott Landfill 7AM-4:30PM

May 1-9, 2015 (closed Sunday May 3rd)

61050 SE 27th Street, Bend

Westside Collection Site 8AM-4PM

May 1-2 & 8-9, 2015

19755 SW Simpson Avenue, Bend (Between Century Drive & Mt. Washington on Simpson Ave.)

Redmond

Negus Transfer Station 8AM-4PM

May 15-16, 2015

2400 NE Maple Way, Redmond

Sisters

Northwest Transfer Station 8AM-4PM

May 15-16, 2015

68200 Fryrear Road, Cloverdale (Sisters)

La Pine

Southwest Transfer Station 8AM-4PM

May 15-16, 2015

54580 Highway 97, La Pine

Sunriver

Sunriver Compost Site 8AM-4PM

May 8-9, 2015 

Cottonwood Road, Sunriver

Madras

Box Canyon Transfer Station 8AM-4PM

May 2-3 and 9-10, 2015

1778 NW Mill Street, Madras