Clackamas County volunteer organizations have joined state agencies in urging preparation for an “above-average wildfire season.”
MULINO, Oregon — Clackamas County fire prevention groups say fire crews cannot do it all, so they are urging homeowners and businesses to dedicate time now to prepare for potential wildfires this spring and summer.
A Clackamas County family is heeding that warning, taking wildfire prevention into their own hands to protect an older member of their family.
Dan Robertson of Mulino says he is working to “harden” their home by creating defensible space and adding fire-resistant materials to his father’s home.
Memories of the 2020 wildfires still linger after their Mulino homestead was placed under a Level 3 evacuation order during the Unger Fire.
“Getting a chance to work on other people’s houses in that time and looking at the conditions, it made us realize we need to start taking care of our own place,” Robertson said.
Over the past two months, Robertson and his family have been clearing the land, cutting down trees, trimming vegetation and removing flammable debris.
A massive stump now sits just feet from their home, all that remains of a 150-foot redwood.
“It was probably 10 feet off the house,” Robertson said.
In total, the family has cut about 20 trees and trimmed many more. Piles of brush, bark and logs now dot the property, a visible sign of the work required to reduce fire risk.
Teresa Robertson, Dan’s wife and a board member with Clackamas County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, said the process can be difficult.
“In a sense, it feels like scarring the land around your home. It is never easy and, honestly, a lot of work,” she said.
But she emphasized that wildfire risk is no longer limited to traditionally fire-prone areas.
“It used to be we thought this was more of a Central Oregon problem, but we are seeing it more here in the Valley, and the 2020 fires were a great example of that,” she said.
Experts recommend thinking of a home like a bull’s-eye, with layers of protection extending outward.
That includes keeping roofs clear of pine needles and leaves, maintaining at least 5 feet of space between the home and any flammable vegetation, and placing trees, woodpiles and sheds about 30 feet away.
Hardening a home also means using fire-resistant roofing materials, clearing gutters and keeping enough emergency supplies on hand to last at least two weeks.
“If something happens, we want to make sure we can save the property, save the house and get everyone out safe,” Dan Robertson said.
Clackamas County disaster volunteers also recommend signing up for local emergency alert systems and familiarizing yourself with evacuation routes, which many counties post online — steps they say can make a critical difference in times of crisis.
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
