SALEM, OR — Wildfire officials in Oregon say the danger to neighborhoods often depends less on where a blaze begins and more on whether it can spread into homes. As another fire season begins, they are pointing to terrain, vegetation, weather and development patterns as key reasons some communities face greater risk.
The warning comes as images from a fast-moving wildfire threatening homes in Spokane highlight how quickly a fire can turn into a community threat.
Homes built into vegetation and steep slopes can face higher wildfire danger
Hannah Shafer, wildfire planning manager for Eugene-Springfield Fire, said one of the main risk factors is housing built close to vegetation, especially on steep ground.
She said fires can move faster uphill because heat can preheat vegetation above the flames, making slopes an important part of wildfire planning and risk assessment.
The Springfield area is one example of a place where homes, plants and terrain overlap in a way that can complicate firefighting.
Nearly 60% of new homes in three Western states are in the wildland-urban interface
An Oregon State University study found that nearly 60% of new homes built in Oregon, Washington and California are being built in the wildland-urban interface, where development meets forests, brush or grasslands.
That pattern matters because it places more people and property near areas where fire can move from open land into neighborhoods.
Hot, dry and windy weather can make fires grow faster
The Oregon Department of Forestry says periods of high heat, low humidity and strong winds can create conditions that allow fires to spread rapidly and become harder to control.
When those conditions are expected, the agency says it pre-positions firefighters, engines, aircraft and other resources near areas of concern before fires start.
Jessica Neujahr, an ODF spokesperson, said the goal is to reach wildland fires quickly so they do not become threats to nearby communities.
Officials urge defensible space and evacuation planning before a fire threatens
ODF says no community is completely free from wildfire risk, especially where homes border forests, brush and grasslands.
Officials are asking Oregon residents to create defensible space around their homes, follow local fire restrictions and make evacuation plans before a wildfire approaches their neighborhood.
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