After a wildfire season that broke every record in Oregon’s modern history and brought widespread smoke and evacuations across the Pacific Northwest, fire officials and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are urging homeowners throughout the region to use the fall months productively — hardening their homes, creating defensible space, and updating their evacuation plans before fire season returns in 2027.

The work that homeowners do now — when the pressure of an active fire season is off — can be the difference between a home that survives a wildfire and one that doesn’t.

Defensible Space: Three Zones

Creating defensible space around your home is the single most effective thing you can do to protect it from wildfire. Fire managers use a zone-based approach:

  • Zone 0 (0–5 feet from the structure): The ember-resistant zone. Remove all combustible materials — mulch, dead leaves, wood piles, propane tanks — immediately adjacent to the home. Use non-combustible landscaping materials. Ember intrusion through vents is a primary cause of home ignition; screen all vents with 1/8” or smaller metal mesh.
  • Zone 1 (5–30 feet): The “lean, clean, green” zone. Remove dead plants, grass, and weeds. Separate plants and trees to prevent fire from spreading to the structure. Prune trees so the lowest branches are 6–10 feet above the ground. Clear leaves and debris from gutters and roofs regularly.
  • Zone 2 (30–100 feet): The reduced fuel zone. Reduce fuel continuity by spacing trees, removing ladder fuels, and cutting grass short. Ensure adequate separation between tree canopies to prevent fire from spreading from tree to tree.

Home Hardening Priorities

Defensible space alone is not enough. Home hardening — improving a structure’s resistance to ember intrusion and radiant heat — is equally critical:

  • Replace wood or asphalt shake roofing with fire-resistant materials (metal, tile, or composition)
  • Install ember-resistant vents on all openings (attic, foundation, crawl space)
  • Enclose eaves and soffits to prevent ember accumulation
  • Replace single-pane windows with double-pane or tempered glass
  • Screen or enclose areas under decks to prevent ember accumulation
  • Store firewood and propane tanks at least 30 feet from the structure

Evacuation Preparedness

Oregon’s 2026 fire season resulted in numerous evacuation orders and warnings that displaced thousands of residents — sometimes with little warning. Having a plan and a go-kit ready before an emergency can save critical minutes when time matters most.

  • Know your evacuation routes — at least two, in different directions
  • Assemble a go-kit: medications, important documents (in a waterproof bag), chargers, water, snacks, and change of clothes
  • Make a plan for pets and livestock
  • Sign up for local emergency alerts via your county sheriff’s office
  • Know your evacuation level: Level 1 (Be Ready), Level 2 (Be Set), Level 3 (Go Now)

Resources

Free guidance, checklists, and home assessment tools are available from:

  • NFPA Firewise USA: firewise.org
  • Oregon Department of Forestry: oregon.gov/ODF
  • Washington DNR Wildfire: dnr.wa.gov/wildfires
  • Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety: disastersafety.org

Many Oregon and Washington counties also offer free defensible space assessments through local fire safe councils. Contact your county emergency management office to learn what’s available in your area.