With fire season looming, local residents gathered to learn valuable strategies for protecting their homes from the threat of wildfire. The 2025 Community Wildfire Event, sponsored by the Illinois Valley Fire Resilience Oversight Group, drew approximately 35 attendees to the Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) meeting room May 29.
The event featured seven expert speakers covering a range of topics designed to empower homeowners and enhance community preparedness.
Jensen Dohman of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service highlighted various Firewise grants and cost-sharing programs available to residents, offering financial assistance to implement fire-resistant landscaping and home improvements.
Joy Sollenberger of the Illinois Valley Soil and Water Conservation District (IVSWDCD) provided insights on proactive land management techniques.
A video called Ember Awareness- How to create safety by home hardening was played by Mike McLaughlin, Josephine County Firewise Community Coordinator. The video that can be viewed at, https://ivfire.com/prevention-1 showed how a protected home can survive in the middle of a wildfire. It’s the little things that people don’t think about that could make the difference of losing your home and the memories stored within.
(Photo by Daniel J. Mancuso, Illinois Valley News)
McLaughlin will give free home assessments. However, he mentioned that some people won’t let him on their property because he is from the county, he emphasized that while a county employee, his position is funded by crucial state grants and doesn’t care about other issues.
Representatives from the Red Cross, Oregon Emergency Management (OREM), and IVFD Deputy Chief Ismaili community provided vital information regarding emergency access, preparedness, and response plans, ensuring attendees were equipped to navigate potential evacuation scenarios and access necessary resources during a wildfire event. The information will help residents make an informed decision when faced with the prospect of community wildfires.
The event underscored the community’s commitment to proactive wildfire mitigation and resilience.
For more information contact the Illinois Valley Fire district at 541-592-2225 or Illinois Valley Fire Resilience Oversight Group at 541-941-0856.