American Red Cross Heroes Event

Save the date for the 11th annual American Red Cross Oregon Mountain River Chapter Real Heroes celebration. This important event celebrates the heroic actions of community members and raises funds to support Red Cross local disaster response efforts. It's an inspiring event and an important community tradition. We hope you'll join us.

Wednesday

MARCH 18, 2015

4:00PM - 6:30PM

The Elks Lodge

63120 Boyd Acres Road 
Bend, OR 97701 Map

http://www.redcross.org/news/event/or/bend/Real-Heroes-Event

National Wildfire Preparedness Day

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in partnership with State Farm & Fire Adapted Communities is sponsoring their 2nd annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. What a great opportunity to highlight your neighborhood's commitment to wildfire preparedness!

This preparedness day celebrates communities tackling their wildfire risk together through grass root efforts. This could be a 2-hour work session with your neighbors or a community wide effort that encompasses all day.

Efforts will raise wildfire awareness and help protect homes, neighborhoods and entire communities, while increasing safety for wildland firefighters during future wildfires; or your project could lessen current post-fire impacts.

NFPA is pleased to announce State Farm, the largest home insurer in the United States, has provided funding for sixty-five (65) $500.00 project funding awards to implement projects on May 2. State Farm has a long history of proactive wildfire safety education to its policyholders in high-risk regions and NFPA is proud to partner with State Farm on its national wildfire safety campaign.

In Deschutes County, we had a local winner. Ponderosa Pines Owner's Association was awarded $500.00 to implement a neighborhood wide chipping day where resident's debris was chipped at the the curb of their property. Project Wildfire is hoping we will have another local winner if not more than one!

For the full contest and rules visit http://www.nfpa.org/wildfirepreparednessday

First Project Wildfire Selfie

Good morning from Project Wildfire.

Round Fire consumes homes in Eastern Sierra Range in California

Round FIRE Ravages Eastern Sierra Homes

This photo was taken by Jerry Dodrill who has been photographing the Sierra Nevada's. He captured the Round Fire at night for some haunting photos and videos.

California's fire season has always been notorious for arriving this time of year but the last few years it seems their fire season last year-round. Here in Central Oregon fire season will be in our backyards before we know it. Please visit www.firefree.org to start preparing now. 10 Tips, One Reason.

Stewardship Bill to Reduce Wildfire Risk

A new Bill may help reduce wildfire risk by allowing for flexibility for land managers.

Senator McCain (R-AZ) & Flake (R-AZ) have introduced a bill that could allow for a new way of doing business for federal land managers & business partners. This legislation would make it easier for all entities to partner long terms in fuel management projects. The bill's goal is to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Senate Bill to Reduce Wildfire Risk

Can Northwest Forests be Protected Against Mega-Fires?

How Can We Live With Fire Safely?

Wow, this video really gets to the heart of why more fuel reduction and prescribed fire is needed on a landscape scale. There are so many great quotes in here from our Washington neighbors who are working to reduce fire intensities, like those they saw in the Carlton Complex this past summer.

There are too many great quotes in here to pick out just one!

Fire Adapted Communities Field Guide

The Fire Adapted Communities have released their Field Guide for all the pilot communities nation wide. Check this guide out. Wildfire is not just a problem we have in Central Oregon or just the West. These folks are working on innovative approaches throughout the nation. 

The Big Burn

Watch THE BIG BURN: 

Watch.  February 3rd. Check local listings for time.   

The Big Burn - it was the largest fire in American history.  By the time it was it was all over, more than three million acres had burned and at least 78 firefighters were dead.

Summary of 2014's Pacific Northwest Fire Season

Over one and a quarter million acres burned in Washington & Oregon during the 2014 fire season. There were over 3,600 fires and 95 large fires.

Webinar on the effects of terrain on fire behavior

There will be a webinar opportunity available on January 27th from 12 to 1:00 p.m. PST. The webinar is presented by Craig Clement from the Fire Weather Research Laboratory at San Jose State University and is titled "Effects of Complex Terrain on Extreme Fire Behavior".  It is being sponsored by the International Association of Wildland Fire, Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, and the Joint Fire Science Program.  It will provide a discussion of wind systems in mountainous terrain, modeling fire behavior on slopes, and wind modeling tools.

http://wildfire.blog.nfpa.org/2015/01/a-webinar-opportunity-on-the-fire-research-and-management-exchange-website-frame.html