"Fire is a good servant, but a bad master." — ancient proverb
I’ve heard a few people say that the 2024 fires that carved a path of destruction through Gilliam and Wheeler counties were “once in a lifetime” events. The kind of blazes that someone will ask about in 20 years after another fire hits, to which, we will certainly say, “oh no my boy – you should have seen that fire in 2024.”
But it is hard to say with any certainty whether such megafires are one-offs or a part of life out West.
The State of Oregon has been working on precautionary measures for several years, and the newly released Fire Map shows there is much to be concerned about. The map of the state looks like a big orange beach ball – with a bit of purple on the Western edge. The Fire Map shows that there is a moderate/high risk within cities in the region and that we will be learning new terms – such as “defensible space” and “wildland urban interface” – which will become part of our normal vocabulary.
For those who didn’t live in the fires’ paths, the 2024 fires could seem like a fairly distant memory. But the cataclysmic fires burning in the Los Angeles area right now have brought it back home.
Living in relative tranquility in oceanside manors near Malibu or in rustic bungalows near Pacific Palisades, the city was completely caught off guard and violently shook from its slumber. In Pacific Palisades, the largest reservoir connected to fire hydrants was down for maintenance. Fire crews cranked open hydrants to see a sputter of water. A complete failure of planning and execution. The fires in Maui a couple years ago were very similar. Government agencies that don’t talk to each other, a lack of planning, and residents fleeing for their lives as the death toll climbs.
On the East Coast, there is a different scenario playing out. In Richmond, Virginia, where we lived before moving back home to Oregon, flooding and rapid water runoff is the biggest issue. Heavy rains, hurricanes, and winds are creating havoc and like Los Angeles, are happening during (or what used to be considered as) the “off season” of extreme weather events. Hurricanes are becoming increasingly abnormal, striking year-round and further inland.
And as for the weather, I can’t recall one this mild in the 33 years that I’ve lived in Oregon. A good amount of rain, but few very cold days so far and no real snow.
I think about the stories I’ve heard of Condon’s old days - about snow on the 4th of July. Will our grandchildren ever believe stories like those?
As we prepare for a future where large fire events are normal – what are we prepared to do to mitigate risk? There’s a large pine tree in my front yard that is close to my house – should I cut it down? What am I willing to let go of for this new world order?
Last year, we traveled to Japan, and I saw a culture that was willing to sacrifice personal freedoms for the greater good of society. I wonder – are we capable of this as Americans? When someone from the State Fire Marshal’s Office or Building Codes Division tells us to make changes to vegetation, and to follow defensible space protocols – will we comply? Will we pay more for insurance or find ourselves uninsurable in some places? Hard to say – but the future is looking increasingly bleak as far as weather events and natural disasters go.
But is it wrong to admit that a mild winter is kind of nice? I spent Sunday in my backyard pruning bushes and listening to a book on tape. Pretending like it was October. I guess you gotta take the good with the bad. And the bad with the ugly.
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