Wildfire Preparedness: Is Your District Ready? 

Wildfire season is here, and across Oregon we are already seeing how quickly conditions can change. Wildfire can spread rapidly, threaten homes and critical infrastructure, disrupt operations, and create hazardous smoke conditions. Taking steps now can help protect your district, your employees, and your community. 

For special districts, preparedness goes beyond protecting structures. It also means protecting critical records, maintaining continuity of operations, and ensuring employees know what to do if an evacuation order is issued. 

Know Oregon's Evacuation Levels 

Oregon uses a three-level evacuation system: 

🟢 Level 1: Be Ready 

  • Be aware of potential danger. 
  • Stay informed and monitor local conditions. 
  • Review your emergency plan. 
  • Prepare important items and be ready to leave if conditions worsen. 

🟡 Level 2: Be Set 

  • Significant danger exists. 
  • Be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. 
  • Have vehicles fueled and ready. 
  • Move essential items where they can be quickly loaded. 
  • Consider relocating early if additional evacuation time may be needed. 

🔴 Level 3: Go Now 

  • Leave immediately. 
  • Do not delay to gather belongings or attempt to protect property. 
  • Follow all instructions from local emergency officials. 

Protect Your Facilities Through Defensible Space 

One of the most effective actions districts can take is reducing wildfire fuel around buildings and facilities. Creating and maintaining defensible space can significantly reduce the likelihood that a structure will ignite from direct flame contact or wind driven embers by maintaining a defensible zone around buildings and removing combustible debris. 

Consider: 

  • Removing dry vegetation, leaves, pine needles, and debris near buildings. 
  • Keeping roofs and gutters clean. 
  • Maintaining access roads and driveways for emergency responders. 
  • Storing wood piles, propane tanks, and other combustible materials away from structures. 
  • Regularly trimming vegetation and removing ladder fuels. 

District offices, fire stations, treatment plants, maintenance shops, parks facilities, and other operational properties can all benefit from these practices. 

Protect Your Records Before an Emergency Occurs 

Wildfire preparedness is not just about buildings. It is also about protecting the information your district needs to operate. 

Take time now to ensure: 

  • Important documents are scanned and stored electronically. 
  • Cloud backups are current and accessible. 
  • Critical files such as contracts, personnel records, resolutions, insurance documents, emergency plans, and financial records are not stored in only one location. 
  • More than one authorized employee knows how to access critical records. 

If your facility becomes inaccessible, having electronic access to key documents can significantly improve your ability to continue operations and recover quickly. 

Update Your Contact Lists 

One of the simplest but most important preparedness steps is maintaining current contact information. 

Review and update: 

  • Employee contact lists. 
  • Board member contact information. 
  • Emergency response partners. 
  • Vendors and contractors. 
  • Utility providers. 
  • Mutual aid contacts. 
  • Insurance and risk management contacts. 

Store contact information in both digital and accessible backup formats whenever possible. 

Be Ready to Evacuate 

Wildfires can change direction quickly due to weather, terrain, and fuels. Staff and leadership should be prepared to leave with little notice. 

An emergency kit should include: 

  • Water and nonperishable food. 
  • Prescription medications. 
  • Important documents. 
  • Extra clothing. 
  • Flashlights. 
  • Portable radios. 
  • Chargers and backup batteries. 
  • Pet supplies, if applicable. 

Think about what information and equipment would be essential to continue district operations if an evacuation occurred today. 

Stay Informed 

Reliable information is critical during a wildfire emergency. 

We encourage all members to: 

  • Sign up for emergency notifications through OR-Alert. 
  • Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile devices. 
  • Follow local emergency management agencies, county sheriffs, and fire agencies. 
  • Check road conditions through TripCheck or by calling 511. 

Need Assistance? 

SDAO is available to help members identify risks, improve preparedness, and navigate recovery challenges. You can find additional information on the SDAO website.  

SDAO Risk Management 

  • Salem Office: 503-371-8667 
  • Toll Free: 800-285-5461 

SDAO Claims Department 

  • Tigard Office: 503-670-7066 
  • Toll Free: 800-305-1736 

Final Thoughts 

The time to prepare is before smoke is visible on the horizon. A few proactive steps today can significantly improve your district's ability to protect people, property, and essential services tomorrow. 

Create defensible space. Protect critical records through electronic storage and cloud backups. Maintain current contact lists. Understand evacuation levels. Most importantly, be prepared to act quickly if conditions change. 

Wildfire preparedness is not just an individual responsibility. It is an organizational resilience strategy. 

Sincerely, 

Jason Jantzi 

Senior Risk Management Consultant – Public Safety 

Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO)