Alison Greene, Program Coordinator of Project Wildfire, says that it’s not if but when residents of Central Oregon will experience the power and destruction of a wildfire. Learn how to protect your home from wildfires and take a look at Central Oregon’s most destructive fires with Green at the Redmond and Downtown Bend Libraries as part of the Know Fire series this August at Deschutes Public Library.

Saturday, August 29, 2015 | 2:00 p.m.
Redmond Library

Sunday, August 30, 2015 | 2:00 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library

“Wildfire IS Central Oregon's natural disaster,” says Green. “We have at least one wildfire every year that prompts the evacuation of residents. We live in a fire-adapted ecosystem, so when we choose to live here we must also be prepared to live safely with wildfire,” she says. But according to Green preparing your home for wildfire is something you can accomplish in a weekend. Replacing a shake roof with a Class A roofing material (composite, tile or metal) and making sure decks and roofs are clear of pine needles and leaf litter are two ways that Green says homeowners can defend against potential fires. In terms of property loss, Green says that the 1996 Skeleton Fire was Central Oregon’s most destructive wildfire, including the loss of 30 homes and 17,000 acres on the east side of Bend. The Biscuit Fire, says Green, was the most expensive fire in Oregon's history. “That fire took place in Southern Oregon and it burned 500,000+ acres and cost over $150 million to suppress in 2001,” she says.

Alison Green, Program Coordinator for Project Wildfire, is a Bend native and former firefighter for the US Forest Service. She changed her focus to wildfire prevention and preparedness to dovetail her passion for customer service and natural resources into one career.

For more information about this or other library programs, please visit the library website at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats, seating or auxiliary aides) should contact Liz at 312-1032.