Project Wildfire is the result of a Deschutes County effort to create long-term wildfire mitigation strategies and provide for a disaster-resistant community. Created by Deschutes County Ordinance 8.24.010, Project Wildfire is the community organization that facilitates, educates, disseminates and maximizes community efforts toward effective fire planning and mitigation. Our mission is to prevent deaths, injuries, property loss and environmental damage resulting from wildfires.

We achieve this by building partnerships, sharing resources and eliminating redundancies. We often succeed where individuals and solo agencies cannot. Many of our goals are achieved by integrating the strategies and best practices below.

Project Wildfire coordinates with local partners to implement the FireFree Program each year. The FireFree program is a year-round educational program that teaches residents how to protect their homes from wildfire. Using the 10 FireFree tips, homeowners learn how to create and maintain defensible space around their homes.

Project Wildfire furthers its educational outreach through:

• presentations to neighborhoods and community groups,

• educational articles, magazines, and materials,

• speaking engagements at local, state, and national conference,

• participation in community events and,

• participation in the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network.

Partnering with local communities and fire agencies, Project Wildfire facilitates the implementation of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) that identify areas at risk and prioritize them for hazardous fuels reduction treatments. With recommendations from treatments on both public and private lands, the CWPPs are valuable tools in strengthening our communities against the threat of high intensity wildfires.

The success of the FireFree program and fuels reduction projects yields over 100,000 cubic yards of woody debris each year. Project Wildfire is committed to recycling this woody biomass for use as fuel to create clean energy and other consumer products. Through our collaborative partnerships, every bit of woody slash that comes from debris collection events and fuels treatment projects is utilized for further benefit.

Through national and state grant programs, Project Wildfire coordinates and implements projects to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface (WUI). Thinning and reducing fuels that allow wildfire to spread and gain intensity will lessen the damage fire can cause to communities, and the environment.

Project Wildfire strives to secure grant funding from a variety of sources to provide resources to local communities and residents for mitigation measures. There is currently grant funding for Southern Deschutes County and Sisters. For more information contact us.