CHAMBER EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Fire Prevention Efforts at Crooked River Ranch

People who live in Central Oregon more than likely are well aware of the risk of wildland fires and the practice of fire prevention, but the residents of Crooked River Ranch make this a high priority. The possibility of fires starting in an instant is real, from things such as burn piles or barrels, field burning, hot embers falling from fires surrounding the area, or even machinery such as lawn mowers, chainsaws or vehicles.

Considering the geography of the peninsula and with only two routes of ingress and egress for the entire community, fire safety is crucial. In 2014 the Crooked River Ranch Board of Directors determined fire prevention to be a high priority. Efforts began with sending Crooked River Ranch Maintenance Supervisor Mike Knoke to attend the National Fire Academy in Maryland. As a result, he along with the Board and Ranch Manager became inspired to make the Ranch a fire adapted community.

This process started by identifying the areas that needed attention, then prioritizing those areas of urgency, scheduling and physically getting the areas treated. Safety corridors were one of the first projects to get done as hundreds of acres of common property were treated. Wellspring Management Inc, supervised by Tim Bell has thinned out the trees, removed brush and weeds along with mowing. This project managed by Tim includes reaching out to other contractors and workers who are brought in for projects requiring specialized forestry management equipment and trained hand crews. Crooked River Ranch