Firewise Communities develop in County

Wildfires are becoming increasingly devastating. As Hood River County Emergency Management works to implement the County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a key success is establishing Firewise Communities where clusters of homes face a high risk of wildfires.

Firewise communities are neighborhoods that have taken measures to reduce wildfire risk. Hood River County currently has seven Firewise Communities, with several more in the early stages of formation. Making homes more resistant to wildfire damage includes strategies such as home hardening (retrofitting with fire-resistant materials and features) and vegetation management (creating defensible space as a buffer to slow or stop wildfire spread), alongside other wildfire mitigation efforts.

Firewise Communities are being established throughout the County.

A Firewise Community, which can include anywhere from five to 2,500 homes, works together to create community-wide solutions to various issues:

• How to harden homes and yards against flying embers, as 90% of homes lost in wildfire are due to flying burning material
• How neighbors organize and communicate before, during, and after a wildfire to ensure collective safety
• How to improve access for emergency responders and provide for any water needs
• Collectively applying for funds for vegetation control in the neighborhood
• Wildfire mitigation projects

To be recognized as a Firewise Community, two main steps need to occur: a neighborhood assessment conducted by local fire personnel, which can include the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM), and local fire departments, outlining community action recommendations; and a written action plan by the Firewise Community indicating what steps the neighborhood intends to take.

Even if a property owner isn’t interested in being part of a Firewise Community, the information and education provided are still valuable. It’s important to understand the challenges that neighborhoods face.

Hess Road – A Firewise Community

The Hess Road Firewise Community, situated on the east side of Highway 35 in Parkdale, is entering its second year. The terrain below Surveyors Ridge is steep, with homes on parcels ranging from five to 20 acres. There are 16 homes in the Hess Road Firewise Community, some with irrigated orchards, but most with fields and forested areas that have underbrush.

Join your neighbors and local experts for an evening of learning about this wildfire season and how to increase your preparedness.

Before becoming an official Firewise Community, many homeowners were already actively working to manage fire risk, such as creating defensible space and thinning vegetation on their properties. The idea of uniting as a community was inspired when a few neighbors attended a Wildfire Preparedness event at Solera Brewery in August 2023. A similar event, organized by various local, state, and federal agencies, is planned for August 14, 2025.  “The event will be super informative,” says Parkdale resident Coco Yackley. “There is a lot of anxiousness, insurance rates are rising, and people are becoming aware that their homes are at risk.”

This bridge on North Hess Road features signage that lets first responders know whether they can safely cross the bridge in an emergency.

Simone Cordery-Cotter, a Fire Risk Reduction Specialist with the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) assigned to Hood River and five other counties, spoke at the Wildfire Preparedness event. Coco Yackley and neighbor Gens Johnson attended separately, and with encouragement, became co-leaders of the Hess Road Firewise Community. Simone encouraged neighbors by saying, “You can do this,” and offered her guidance.

Yackley recalls, “Gens and I agreed to float this idea to the neighborhood and see if others were interested.” Each homeowner decided whether to participate in the voluntary program. Some concerns neighbors expressed included the potential costs and requirements, as well as whether insurance companies would be notified. However, they discovered that the recommendations were entirely voluntary, captured in an 11-page assessment that was shared with neighbors after a site visit from OSFM and ODF fire personnel.

Grant dollars have helped make a significant dent in removing vegetation around homes on Hess Road.

Coco and Gens, along with other members of their community, prioritized recommendations into a three-year action plan with neighbor consensus. With that action plan in hand, the community applied for and received a $75,000 grant, courtesy of the Oregon State Fire Marshal, to hire contractors to create defensible space around homes for older and less mobile residents, and those without readily available resources. Half of the work is already completed, with the rest slated to be completed this fall. These grant dollars made a significant dent in removing vegetation around homes, making it significantly easier for residents to maintain their defensible space in the future.

Other Hood River County Firewise Communities

Stonegate HOA just east of Frankton Road was one of the first to earn official Firewise recognition in the County

Communities recognized under the Firewise USA Program have followed a systematic process to organize and implement a Firewise mitigation plan in their neighborhood. Program criteria and additional details can be found on the Firewise website.

Official Firewise recognition:

1. Stonegate HOA, Hood River. Participation began 10-16-23 with 12 homes.
2. Baldwin Creek Drive in Parkdale, Mount Hood, OR. Participation began 12-19-23 with 12 homes.
3. Hess Roads Community, Mount Hood. Participation began 12-31-23 with 15 homes.
4. Prospect Montello, Hood River. Participation began 6-14-24 with 8 homes.
5. Rocky Ridge Ct, Hood River. Participation began 10-04-24 with 8 homes.
6. Creekside HOA – began 10-24-24 with 8 homes following a nearby wildland fire in summer 2024.
7. Eastside-Old Dalles, Hood River, OR. Participation began 04-30-25 with 15 homes and growing

In stages of formation:

1. Mountain Shadows / Cooper Spur (Mt. Hood) – their assessment is complete, and they are working on their action plan
2. Pine Crest (Hood River)
3. Windsong-Shahalla (Cascade Locks)
4. North Indian Creek Community (Hood River)