Firewise — How can homes and communities prepare for urban wildfire?

Welcome! This page will serve as a nexus for a Firewise Community of all the residences, parks, institutions, and businesses loosely centered around Collins View.

The threat of an urban wildfire is becoming more and more real as weather and climate heats up. There are many things home owners can do to reduce risks and exposure to wildfire.

Process / Status report / December 2022

We received notice that Collins View is now officially Portland’s sixth Firewise Community. We are Good to Go throughout 2023!

Process / Status report / October 2022

The proposed boundary for the CV FW community has shrunk to just Collins View. Other folks (Marshal Park, Riverdale, et al) will be in their own communities.

PP&R conducted a walk-though of nine(ish) CV properties on 8/25 for the purpose of gathering data for an application. The report is being drafted for the National Firewise folks.. We will review / share / summarize that report when the draft is complete.

REMEMBER - you can do a SELF ASSESSMENT, and/or have a duo of bonafide experts visit. See the Sign Up section below.

Process / Status report / August 2022

Over 40 properties in our area have had a "Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Home Assessment" done by Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) education officers who have visited properties and given a standard report with written suggestions. Folks have been pleased with their reports. Ideally, many more will have such assessments (or do serious self-assessments). See below for sign up instructions.

While these assessments have been going on, several educational meetings have been attended by self-selected interested property owners. (Most have had or scheduled a WUI Assessment.)

On August 25th, 2022, PF&R is doing a "Community Assessment" — profiling eight selected properties to illustrate various situations that exist in our community. They will use that survey, including representative photos, to draft a report to be reviewed by our ad hoc advisory committee (attendees of the educational meetings). Once reviewed and revised by the committee, PP&R will submit to the national Firewise HQ.

Once the proposal for a FW community is accepted, a community board will be chartered and comprised that can oversee the community efforts:

• Developing a multi-faceted plan with all parties (Parks, Cemeteries, College, ...), reviewed annually.
• Organizing volunteer events - eg Spring cleanup, fuel reduction work in communal areas, and so on.
• Encourage more folk to request a WUI Assessment of their property, or to self-assess.
• Applying for grants for applicable projects - larger projects.
• an so on... based on many factors in our community.

Note: The actual properties in the Community Assessment Report will not be identified, and photos won't have any recognizable property features.

Going Forward

This is a long term project! We are just starting a marathon. In the meantime, let's all focus on cleaning up our properties, and work toward having our individual Firewise assessments this summer. This page will be kept current and be supplemented with more details as time goes on. Many details to be added. The Plan will be reviewed annually.

Sign up for a free, comprehensive, expert assessment!

Residents are able to have their properties assessed by PF&R Personnel for fire hazards and suggested mitigation.

Sign Up! It's FREE! There is no legal obligation for the owner to remedy situations. It is an assessment of your exposure to wildfire. The result is a useful list of suggested (not required) actions.

Signing up for the PF&R Firewise Assessment go to this [PAGE], then find the WUI assessment link to 'Schedule free wild land – urban interface assessment at your home'. (Or just use this Direct link to the [Sign-Up Form])

Registration is very short and non-intrusive. They will call you back to schedule, so the date/time you enter can be negotiated on that call. The assessment itself requires about 45 minutes. Once you have the assessment, you'll want to act on it. Think of it as a Marathon, not a sprint.

Please encourage your neighbors to sign up for an assessment, and for PUBLIC ALERTS (see blow).

FYI - We are working on a checklist based on the assessment form in case you'd rather do a self-assessment.

A Digital Door Hanger!

We have a 'digital' door hanger here: Door Hanger facsimile. Please share with others!

There's More!

Please visit the New Collins View Blog article: Firewise Community Effort June 2022 for LOTS of good information in a slightly different form.

Please consider signing up for PUBLIC ALERTS as per this page just below, or the June 2022 blog post just above.

See our Firewise Self-Assessment [CHECKLIST] — a work in progress.

October 2022 SW News has a full page Public safety report on Page 16. (swni.org)

Take our Quiz!

Take our "What's Wrong in these pictures" Firewise [QUIZ]

Collins View Firewise Home is a Work in Progress! Summer 2022. Thanks for your interest!

Register for Public Alerts

Public Alerts is a Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) program that sends urgent safety messages (stay inside, evacuate, boil water etc.) in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. News and information on major service disruptions (roads, transit, public health, safety, utilities, schools, weather) are sent to landline phones, mobile phones (voice and text) and email. To receive messages you must register at Public Alerts: [LINK]

Wireless Emergency Alerts — Depending upon the nature of an incident, safety information is also provided through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on most mobile phones, Twitter, Facebook, TV, Radio, and on-line newspapers.

• On iPhones, tap your Settings app, scroll to Notifications, and scroll down to Government Alerts. Turn on Amber and Emergency Alerts by simply tapping the slide switch. The slide switch should turn green. Notifications arrive in banner format and can be accessed by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping on the Notifications tab.
• On Droids, Emergency Alerts are a separate default application icon. If you do not see it on one of your home screens, search for the app in your apps location. The icon is typically a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in the center, and you can view alerts simply by opening the app on your phone.

What is Firewise? What is a Firewise Community?

Firewise is a national program that shares tips on protecting residential property from wildfire. A number of fire-wise residents can form a community to tackle common goals.

The remainder of the page is text is recycled from the NET page.

JM added URBAN WILDFIRE to the NET page some years ago (2016-18?). NET deals with all kinds of emergencies - quakes, wind, explosions, power outages, whatever.

URBAN WILDFIRE (from NET)

What's the danger of an Urban Wildfire?

Climatologists reported that 2014 was the hottest year on record. The summers are getting hotter and the vegetation is getting drier each year. Accumulating brush on the hillsides becomes potential fuel for fires. A carelessly thrown cigarette, or a fire in a homeless camp, or a downed power line can all spark fires. Strong winds coming out of the east and northeast could drive a fire up into the west hills very quickly.

How can the community be better prepared?

• Everyone should be aware of Red Flag days when the danger of fire is particularly high.
• Neighbors should be warned of imminent fire danger somehow.
• Escape routes need to be identified and publicized.
  Here are tips on evacuating your family: [TIPS].

The Portland Fire Bureau also advises property owners to take steps to protect their homes. Among them are:

• Creating a space around your home that provides a clearing of inflammable materials or vegetation. Remove invasive trees and shrubs, plant trimmings, firewood, fiberglass boats and recreational vehicles around the home.
• Using fire resistant building materials, particularly roofing and siding as well as decking and pavers.
• Landscaping with fire resistant plants.

For more information about wildfires and preventing and preparing for them go to [DEAD LINK].

What You Can Do: Prepare! (from NET)

... Emergency Preparedness ...
Be part of the solution, not part of the problem!

Go Kit — If you are forced to evacuate on a minute's notice, do you have a Go Kit packed with necessary medicines, cash, clothes, and important documents that are ready to grab and go? Most Go Kits are described as 72-hour Survival Kits and can be purchased or homemade as do-it-yourself kits. [GO/STAY KIT page]

Prepare Your Pets for Disasters — See this page on [PETS.

Download and print this Pet preparedness flyer [PDF]