Newberry County, Oregon, is taking steps to reduce wildfire risk through education and community involvement. The Newberry Regional Partnership released a documentary, ‘From Risk to Ready: A Newberry Country Defensible Space Story,’ highlighting local efforts to create defensible spaces and promote wildfire resilience.

Community Involvement

Monte Dammarell, leader of the Defensible Space Action Team (DSAT), emphasized the importance of community involvement in wildfire resilience. ‘In Newberry Country, wildfire resilience begins one property, one neighborhood, and one practical step at a time,’ Dammarell said. The documentary features real stories of preparedness following the Darlene three Fire and showcases a hands-on demonstration project where participants cleared brush, thinned trees, and created defensible space zones.

Volunteers, agencies, and contractors applied practical fuel reduction methods at a selected residential site, including clearing dead vegetation, pruning, and installing gravel buffers. The initiative received support from a $10,000 grant from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and matching funding from the Newberry Regional Partnership.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.