Heppner, Ore. – The Blake Ranch community has become the first Firewise USA community in Morrow County. The Oregon Department of Forestry, along with other federal, state, local and community partners, helped Blake Ranch become recognized as a Firewise USA community starting January 19.
“Congratulations to Blake Ranch residents for setting the stage for other Firewise communities to grow within Morrow County,” said Brandon Ferguson, Forest Resource Manager with ODF’s John Day Unit.
Prior to the applying to be a Firewise USA community, Blake Ranch residents were beginning to see the changes in wildfire behavior in their area. Their remote location—16 miles southwest of Heppner—is prone to lightning-started wildfires, makes it difficult to get firefighting resources to the scene quickly. This, along with the dangers posed by continuous buildup of fuels and forest health concerns, began the conversation among neighbors.
Several residents attended ODF and local fire department classes to become more educated on wildfire resiliency and be able to help inform fellow residents. In December 2022, after a lot of work between community and interagency partners, Blake Ranch applied to become a Firewise USA community.
“Firewise USA is a community-led effort that requires resident buy in to be successful. Cooperation between the community and their interagency partners is integral to making their hometown safer against wildfire,” said ODF Forest Officer Stacy Lauritsen, who helped Blake Ranch through the process to become a Firewise community. “Hopefully, Blake Ranch inspires other communities in Morrow County to look into the Firewise USA program for themselves.”
Currently, one other community in Morrow County is working toward Firewise recognition.
The Firewise USA program is headed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and provides a collaborative framework to help neighbors get organized, find direction, and take action to protect their homes and community from ignition risk and to reduce wildfire risks at the local level.
If you or your community would like to learn more about the Firewise USA program, contact your local ODF office for more information.