Culver, Ore. – Today the Oregon Department of Forestry released the picture of what “defensible space” looks like.
This home was in the direct path of the fast moving fire and survived the Cove Fire.
The homeowners had worked on defensible space actions over an extended period of time – actions that included installing a metal roof, keeping gutters free of debris, surrounding the grounds of the home outward from the house for several feet with gravel surface material, adding cinder blocks between the deck surface and the ground (to prevent embers from getting under the deck area) and, just within the past month, re-surfacing that wooden deck with brick.
As the fire swept up the downhill side of where the home was situated – through extremely dry and flammable fuels, and pushed by winds including 40 mph gusts – items destroyed near and on the home’s deck within the fire’s path indicate a sustained period of 200+ degrees of heat. However, the home, itself, stood, with minimal damage.
The Oregon Department of Forestry encourages all Oregonians living in the wildland urban interface to find out more about living with wildfire and defensible space actions they can take to help protect their homes. Learn more at Keep Oregon Green, and other organizations, such as Firewise.
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