For the next several months, Chemeketa Firewise is providing a monthly "to do" list to maintain a defensible space and harden your home against flying embers.  

Last month, June, the focus was on the First Five Feet - clearing all flammables within 5 feet of your house.  This is the ember-resistant zone (Zone 0) which science has proven to be extremely important.  

The focus for July is Lean, Green, and Mean.  Please click on the link below to read about how to create a defensible space that protects your family, home, and firefighters.  Let's all work together.

July Firewise Focus: Lean, Green, and Mean

In the continuing  effort to keep our community informed, we have added links for further information on certain subjects discussed in the monthly meeting minutes.  Check it out!

FYI - The meeting minutes are always posted on this website under Water Company; Meeting Minutes.   They will be posted for a few weeks in this News section as well so that everyone has a chance to read them. 

 June 2022 Monthly Board of Directors Meeting

Defensible Space Zones

FIRST  FIVE  FEET

Zone 0 – Ember-Resistant Zone

Zone 0 extends 5 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc.

The ember-resistant zone is currently not required by law, but science has proven it to be the most important of all the defensible space zones. This zone includes the area under and around all attached decks and requires the most stringent wildfire fuel reduction. The ember-resistant zone is designed to keep fire or embers from igniting materials that can spread the fire to your home. The following provides guidance for this zone, which may change based on the regulation developed by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.

• Use hardscape like gravel, pavers, concrete, and other noncombustible mulch materials. No combustible bark or mulch
• Remove all dead and dying weeds, grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches, and vegetative debris (leaves, needles, cones, bark, etc.);
• Check your roofs, gutters, decks, porches, stairways, etc.
• Remove all branches within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe outlet
• Limit plants in this area to low growing, nonwoody, properly watered and maintained plants
• Limit combustible items (outdoor furniture, planters, etc.) on top of decks
• Relocate firewood and lumber to Zone 2 (30-100 feet from home)
• Replace combustible fencing, gates, and arbors attached to the home with noncombustible alternatives
• Consider relocating garbage and recycling containers outside this zone
• Consider relocating boats, RVs, vehicles, and other combustible items outside this zone

  Drought Factsheet Outdoors

  Drought Factsheet Indoors