Applegaters adapt to living with the risk of wildfire
Written by:
Tracy Harding
Across southwestern Oregon, farmers and land managers are adapting to a way of life in which wildfire influences decisions throughout the year. In 2006, when Josh Cohen and his family moved onto their ten-acre farm in Applegate, Barking Moon Farm, concerns about fire safety led Josh to immediately replace the electrical wiring in the old house and barn. In his second year on the property, Josh accidentally started a seven-acre fire on a neighbor’s property when a narrow turn of the push-behind mower he was using, winding in on the last pass, touched hot metal to the ground. Several fire units arrived quickly to put out the fire.
After that, Josh’s thinking and planning about fire safety became more detailed and rigorous, covering practical protocols such as avoiding the use of internal combustion equipment on dry ground, maintaining a smoke-free workforce, using thoughtful water management, and understanding that the farm’s driest, unirrigated areas are its most vulnerable. Barking Moon Farm’s updated employee handbook includes disaster response and communication procedures, reflecting a growing emphasis on preparedness across many farms in the valley. These policies are an important step toward developing more comprehensive evacuation and disaster preparedness plans.
Bringing concerns about safety, habitat, and land stewardship into the future, Pacifica: a Garden in the Siskiyous, is hosting several programs emphasizing fire safety. Director Vanessa Redding works closely with local fire agencies. “As stewards of more than 400 acres of forests, fields, and waterways,” she says, “Pacifica is committed to maintaining a safe environment through ongoing wildfire preparedness and fire prevention practices.” Pacifica recently installed a 12,000-gallon water storage tank to support their new fire suppression system for the Great Hall, enhancing fire safety and helping protect one of Williams’s primary community gathering spaces. As part of the Resilience Hubs effort in Williams, Pacifica has initiated the process of becoming a Red Cross shelter. Staff and educators working at Pacifica receive an annual fire and disaster preparedness training in the spring that is repeated in each of their programs or workshops.
As a community, we’re building resilience by adapting to changing conditions. As drought persists and summers grow hotter and smoky days more common, farmers and land stewards are rethinking how they manage their land and how they care for themselves and those around them. An emotional toll accompanies these practical challenges. Grief, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty can occur as people watch familiar landscapes change as they face the wildfire risks that have become increasingly persistent in rural life.
Maud and Tom Powell experienced these challenges firsthand. “After 23 years of farming on a property we loved (Wolf Gulch), we made the difficult decision to move because worsening drought conditions and increasing heat made it harder and harder to sustain our farming operation,” they said. “Leaving a farm is never just a business decision; it also means leaving a place filled with memories, relationships, and a deep connection to the land. Our experience reflects a growing reality for many agricultural producers who are adapting not only their farming practices but, in some cases, their lives in response to a changing climate.”
These feelings are a natural response to living with ongoing wildfire risk, yet good planning can provide a sense of confidence and stability. Developing an evacuation plan, identifying alternate routes, making arrangements for livestock and pets, and gathering essential documents and emergency supplies allow people to make decisions before they’re under pressure. When an emergency does occur, that preparation can ease uncertainty and help people respond more calmly and effectively.
Over the past two years, American Farmland Trust offered wildfire preparedness workshops as part of our Supporting Fire Resilient Ranching Communities project. There are many additional fire readiness resources available and numerous resourceful people in the Applegate Valley. Firefighting personnel can be invited to walk your property and offer productive steps you can take to protect your buildings and possessions. A Greater Applegate is currently working with local partner organizations and community members to develop Resilience Hubs to provide our community with facilities to support residents, coordinate communication, and distribute needed resources before, during, and after an emergency or natural disaster. A Greater Applegate hosts a Wildfire and Emergency Resources website at applegateconnect.org/resources/wildfire and-emergency-resources/.
Tracy Harding