TEN TIPS. ONE REASON.

1. Define your defensible space.
Create a 30 foot zone of fire-resistant space around your home to prevent fires from starting near or spreading to your home.

2. Reduce flammable vegetation and brush around your home.
Juniper, bitterbrush and manzanita are highly flammable. Replace them with fire-resistant shrubs like Vine Maple and Lilac.

3. Reduce the density of nearby trees.
Remove or thin overcrowded or small diameter trees. Prune low hanging branches from the ground to eliminate “ladder fuels."

4. Keep grass and weeds cut low.
Trim grass and weeds to less than 4” to prevent rapid spread of fire and high flames.

5. Clear wood piles and building materials away from your home and outbuildings.
Keep burnable materials at least 20 feet from your home and outbuildings.  Clear all brush at least 10 feet away from wood and debris piles. 

6. Keep your yard and roof clean.
Clear pine needles, leaves and debris from your yard, roof and gutters to eliminate ignition sources. Remove overhanging and dead limbs.

7. Keep address signs visible for easy access.
Post easy-to-read address signs and trim vegetation away from driveways so firefighters can find and access your home quickly.

8. Choose fire-resistant roofing materials.
Use fire-resistant materials like composition shingles, metal or tile roofing. Install spark arrestors on chimneys to prevent sparks from igniting your roof or surrounding vegetation.

9. Use alternatives to burning debris.
Instead of burning, recycle or compost your yard waste.

10. Be prepared to respond to wildfire.
Keep a 72-hour kit handy. Know the evacuation routes from your neighborhood and practice with your family, using a checklist of what to take and how to prepare your home before leaving.

Click here for a downloadable poster (PDF Format)

Bend:
Knott Landfill
May 2-10, 2009

Westside Bend Recycle Depot:
May 2-3 & 9-10, 2009

Alfalfa:
Transfer Station
May 16, 2009

Sisters:
Cloverdale Transfer Station
May 16-17, 2009

La Pine:
La Pine Transfer Station
May 16-17, 2009

Madras:
Box Canyon Transfer Site
April 18-19, 2009 April 25-26, 2009

Sunriver:
Compost Site
May 2-3, 2009

Redmond:
Negus Transfer Station
May 16-17, 2009

Camp Sherman TBD