Fire Resources to the Rescue
With record-breaking temperatures already it has become normal in Southern Oregon to wonder ... when and where will fire season begin? Will it be from lightning? A toss of a cigarette? It’s only a matter of time.
We cannot choose where wildfire happens. However, while the changing climate is writing a new story for the Rogue Valley, we can take action throughout the year to become fire resilient and ready for when wildfire does hit.
This summer, KS Wild is providing several ways for you to be more informed about wildfires in our region:
Our Fire Dashboard resources page provides up-to-date information on active incidents and smoke reports, as well as resources on preparing for wildfire in your community.
Read about fire-related ecological work and the workers and organizations who work to make our forests resilient.
Join us throughout the summer as we host local fire experts for our Summer Speaker Series with our partners at the Medford REI.
Hendrix Fire smoke plume; photo credit, Brodia Minter
Providing up-to-date information on all the latest wildfire incidents, smoke data, and forecasts, KS Wild's Fire Dashboard is a community resource for southern Oregon and northern California. Bookmark the page, so you can get quick answers to your questions about active fires and air quality.
With resources for defensible space, fire reports, and checklists to keep your family and community safe during fire season, we hope you will use the Fire Dashboard throughout fire season, and into the fall, as a way to stay prepared.
The list of resources continues to grow as we move into fire season and new tools become available. Check back often to see the latest information.
Carl Wilmsen and Martha Valle Hernandez from Northwest Forest Workers Center
Blog Post Recaps "The Hands that Touch the Land"
KS Wild, the Northwest Forest Worker Center, and Lomakatsi Restoration Project hosted “The Hands that Touch the Land,” a hike focusing on ecological forestry work.
Held along the Lower Red Queen Trail in Ashland, the guided hike highlighted how each organizations’ mission interconnects, filling a diversity of niches in advocating for forest management and the proper treatment of the workers that implement restoration.
Read our recent blog post, which recaps the event and highlights the important work of each group in reducing wildfire risk in Ashland's backyard forest.
Summer Speaker Series: Fire Management
This summer KS Wild brings fire experts to southern Oregon for a Fire Speaker Series in partnership with REI to talk about the role of fire in our region. During this series we will explore the inner and outer workings of fire in the era of climate change, and what we can do to protect our homes, manage our forests, and use the time-tested knowledge of local tribes to build a safer, more resilient relationship with fire.
June 24th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm:
"Defensible Space: A Year-Long Commitment" with Richard Fairbanks
July 26th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm:
"Fire Management Across a Mixed-Ownership Landscape" with Chris Dunn
August 29th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm: