REDMOND, Ore. -  People who own forest property of any size, from a few acres to several hundreds, often don't know if their forest could survive a wildfire. Have they reduced enough ladder fuels to keep a fire from spreading up into the tree crowns? Could firefighters easily get to a wildfire on their property?

Straight answers to difficult questions are in a new 41-page pub­lication from Oregon State University Extension Service, "Reducing Fire Risk on Your Forest Property, PNW 618."

Although the actions suggested won't prevent a wildfire, they can make forested property much more fire resistant, said Stephen Fitzgerald, OSU Extension silviculture and wildland fire specialist. The degree of wildfire risk depends on both the probability of ignition from lightning or human activity, and the potential loss of life, trees or homes.

"If you follow the publication's guidelines, you can reduce a fire's severity," Fitzgerald said. "Most trees will survive and firefighters can get to the blaze to extinguish it."

Recent studies have shown increasing levels of interest in such actions across the American West, as wildfire severity has increased and poses an increasing threat in the urban/wildland interface.

Fire specialists and foresters from OSU, Washington State University and the University of Idaho produced the publication. It is available for free online at http://bit.ly/kRNQz7 or can be purchased for $12 plus shipping and handling by calling (800) 561-6719.

"A wildfire on private property can have severe financial consequences for owners, their family and neighbors," said Max Bennett, Extension Forester in southern Oregon, and the lead author of the publication. "It also can jeopardize the long-term health of the watershed and area ecology."

Although the publication suggests how to make forested property more fire-resistant and improve forest health and wildlife habitat at the same time, it does not specifically address "defensible space" immedi­ately around a home, cabin or other structures.

For detailed information about creating and maintaining defensible space, see these OSU Extension publications (available only online):

•EC 1573-E Hazardous Fuels Reduction on Woodland Property: Thinning. http://bit.ly/kjR09y

•EC 1574-E Reducing Hazardous Fuels on Woodland Property: Disposing of Woody Material. http://bit.ly/jBy1Dn

•EC 1576-E Reducing Hazardous Fuels on Woodland Property: Pruning. http://bit.ly/iZzuuw

As a real-world illustration of what's involved, the new publication highlights the story of the Epsteins, who purchased property in south­western Oregon in 1987. Soon after, they learned their wildfire risk was high and parts of the property had burned in intense wildfires at least twice in the past century. Their case history illustrates what they did to reduce their risk of wildfire.

Source: 

Stephen Fitzgerald, 541-548-6088 x7955

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