PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Even with the wet spring, some areas of the state are still going through an exceptional drought, which is why officials are already thinking of wildfire season.
Alison Green with the office of the State Fire Marshal says these spring rains help stave off the immediate start of fire season, but 80% of wildfires are human-caused, and that Oregon is still recovering from years past.
“Paying attention to the conditions, not the calendar, is really important because at the end of the day we have no control over the weather,” said Green. “But we have control over what we do, so humans really need to be doing our best to not be the cause of that next wildfire and stop those ignitions even before we have a wildfire start.”
She said recovery and preparedness go hand-in-hand, and that the fires in 20202 served as a “wake up call.”
She said if a home is properly maintained, there’s a 70-80% chance it will survive a wildfire without intervention from a fire crew.
While many communities still recovering Green said those not currently in recovery should prepare and take those lessons to move forward. And that looks like taking this month to create defensible space around your home — a green and lean situation.