Urban wildfires a real threat, map shows neighborhoods most at risk

by Chris Liedle, KATU News

The shaded areas are at the most risk. (Map: City of Portland)

PORTLAND, Ore. —

Lush and natural, forested landscapes are part of Portland's character. It's one of the things that makes the Rose City beautiful. However, that beauty creates significant fire hazards.

The abundance of plant life provides fuel to burn. Steep terrain combined with seasonal hot and dry winds are ingredients for a devastating fire.

Each year, wildland fires consume hundreds, if not thousands, of homes in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI).

Portland Fire & Rescue says wildfires in an urban setting like Portland can be extremely dangerous and difficult to control. Because of the metro-area's dense population and the number of structures in wildland settings, firefighters have little time to make evacuations and protect homes.

A destructive, deadly fire is very real.

Look no further than the Carr Fire burning near Redding, California, or the wildfires that burned hundreds of homes in Colorado earlier this year.

But firefighters can point to examples closer to home.

In 2017, the Eagle Creek Fire burned 48,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge. Several structures were lost. Over the last month, three wildland fires in Wasco County blackened more than 100,000 acres. Structures were lost in those fires too.

In Portland, thousands live in wildfire territory.

According to Portland Fire & Rescue's Wildfire Hazard Zone map, all five quadrants are at risk.

In 2001, a fast-moving, five-alarm wildland fire threatened North Portland's University Park neighborhood near North Willamette Boulevard. Helicopter video captured homeowners using garden hoses and pool water to stop the fire from reaching their homes.

But many eyes are on the West Hills and Forest Park, where thousands of homes dot the steep, forested hillsides.

Most of Forest Park’s slopes are steeper than 40 degrees, a slope very conducive to spreading wildfires. South facing slopes, being drier, are at an increased risk.

According to Portland Parks & Recreation, Forest Park (and the forest land it borders) burns in estimated cycles, ranging from 75 years to 400 years.

Forest Park last significantly burned in 1951. After a dry spring and summer, a fire charred 2,000 acres between Leif Erikson Drive and what is now known as Forest Heights.

In August 1940, 1,000 acres burned south of Southwest Saltzman Road, east of Skyline Boulevard. The winds were out of the northwest.

West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District Forest Conservationist Michael Ahr helps property owners strike a balance between forest habitat and fire prevention.

"Maybe they want wildlife habitat or healthier forests," Ahr told KATU. "A common question is, will this raise my fire risk?"

Ahr is currently working with approximately 30 landowners, including Dick Williams, who owns 60 acres on Northwest Cornelius Pass Road.

"Our primary goal is to try to re-establish a mature, mixed species forest," Williams said.

To do that, Williams says he needed to remove invasive plants and perform tree thinning.

"Anybody that has forest land on their residential property, needs to take steps to make sure their homes are protected," Williams said. "And they need to make sure they’re doing things to reduce the fuel load."

Williams says he has more thinning planned, but because it's so dry, everything is on hold until it rains.

"It is extremely dry," Williams said. "Dry enough that we actually don’t want vehicles on the property."

Ahr says there are a few things you can do to reduce wildfire risk around your home, which includes creating defensible space, a buffer of at least 30 feet to slow or stop a fire from reaching your property or home.

Other tips include:

Keep debris such as dead leaves and twigs off of your roof and out of your gutters. Sparks can travel great distances from fires and ignite dry vegetation that gathers on or around your home.
Also, keep debris and flammable items off or your wood decks. We’ve seen fires spread after a broom ignited by a spark.
If you’re stacking firewood for the winter, keep it at least 30 feet from the house
Prune branches from trees that are touching your house or lying on the roof.
Some plant species are highly flammable such as juniper. If you have these species within 20-30 feet from your home, consider replacing them with less flammable vegetation. Our invasive Armenian blackberry can cause a wildfire hazard as well, and could be replaced by native vegetation.
Fires tend to move up slopes rather than down them, and many homes on NW Skyline, McNamee, Newberry and other roads are at the top of slopes leaving them susceptible to spreading fires.
Keep access open to your home and property. In the event of an emergency, wildfire engines and trucks need to be able to drive up forest roads quickly.

Portland Fire & Rescue recommends creating an emergency plan and following these three critical steps:

Ready - Be Ready. Prepare for the fire threat by creating defensible space around your home, assembling emergency supplies, and planning evacuation routes.
Set - Situational awareness. As a fire approaches, stay alert and know how to receive the latest news and information on the fire from local media, your local fire department and public safety. Pack your emergency items and prepare to evacuate if necessary.
Go! - Act early. By leaving early, you have the best chance of surviving a wildland fire. You also support firefighting efforts by keeping the area and roads clear of congestion, which allows firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.

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