2025 Wildfire Prevention Tips for the SBNA Area

There is a bewildering amount of wildfire prevention information available. Here’s a concise summary of reliable information for our area compiled from from City of the Eugene Fire Marshal, Lane County Fire Authority, Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry.

MOST IMPORTANT!!

If you are told to evacuate now (Evacuation Level 3), GO NOW!

• • • • If there is a fire nearby, we might skip evacuation Levels 1 & 2, and go straight to Level 3 – GO NOW.
      • Have your “Grab & Go Bag” ready.

    Defensible Space

This year, the emphasis has been on keeping our homes and the 5’ around them clear of anything that can be ignited by an ember. Embers can travel miles. Once you are your home & the 5’ around it clear, move on to 5’-30’ from your home, and then 30’-100’. Defensible Space Checklist https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/Documents/OSFMDefensibleSpaceAssessmentTool.pdf.

Before you go out of town during fire season, or, if we are at evacuation levels 2 or 3, reduce the chance our houses will burn by: (1) removing anything flammable from 5’ around your house, and (2) preventing embers from getting inside.

• • • • • Move wooden outdoor furniture away from the house
        • Bring outdoor furniture cushions inside the house
        • Close windows and doors
        • Close curtains and blinds
        • Shut all vents
        • Move small propane tanks away from buildings and disconnect others
        • Bring doormats inside
        • If you have a wooden gate touching the house if it is part of  wooden fence touching the house, prop it open
        • Make sure there are no leaves or other flammable debris within 5’ of the house
        • Make sure gutters are clean

  Don’t Start a Wildfire

Each day during fire season, check the Fire Danger and restrictions for that Fire Danger before working in the woods or doing anything else that might start a fire – links are under “Today’s Fire Danger” at SBNA.net. All 3 will have the same fire danger level with different additional information.

• • • • • ODF state map (webpage – recently revised & now much easier to read. SBNA is in ODF area WT-1)
        • Lane Fire Authority (webpage)
        • ODF Western Lane District (Facebook Page)
        • No brush or other burning until burn season begins again in the fall.

  Keep Informed

How to keep informed during red flag weather or when there are fires nearby:

• • • • • Make sure you are signed up for Lane Alerts – emergency texts, emails, & phone calls initiated by the county sheriff. If you received a text and email alerts on May 21^st at 1:15, you are signed up. If you did not or aren’t sure, go to:
        • Download the cell phone app “Watch Duty” & familiarize yourself with it. Right now, it is the quickest way to know about fires outside of city limits.
        • Know when we are in a Fire Weather Watch or Red Flag Warning by watching the weather app on your cell phone or signing up for:
        • Tune to KLCC, FM 89.7

Email sbnacontactus@gmail.com with your comments.

Updated 7/12/25.