Because of its efforts to reduce the vulnerability of homes and landscapes to wildfire, the Barton Road Community near Azalea has earned Firewise Communities/USA® recognition from the National Firewise Communities Program.
The Barton Road Firewise Community worked with the Douglas Forest Protective Association to conduct a wildfire hazard assessment, specific to their community. These findings were used to develop an action plan to address wildfire safety concerns found within the Barton Road area. Residents and fire officials then worked together to implement the action plan.
“It is important that communities take an active role in addressing wildfire concerns in their neighborhood,” says DFPA Fire Prevention Specialist Kyle Reed. “Creating defensible space before a fire begins helps protect homes and provides a level of safety for firefighters in the event of a wildfire.”
Barton Road is the fifth community in Douglas County to earn Firewise Community recognition, and joins 51 other Firewise Communities throughout Oregon. Nationally, more than 1,000 communities have been recognized since the program’s inception in 2002.
Douglas County communities interested in earning Firewise recognition should contact Kyle Reed with the Douglas Forest Protective Association for more information, 541-672-6507 ext. 136.