Is your property fire season ready? The countdown is on, and fire season arrives soon, ready or not. Dry conditions, weather uncertainties, and human carelessness all carry the unknowns of how, when and where fire will spark. The question remaining is, what combustibles are available to fuel its path of destruction? As we’ve witnessed to our horror in other nearby communities, fire threatens all we hold most dear—our homes and lives.
It’s a painful reminder but according to an article published last November in USA Today, the Camp Fire in Northern California destroyed more structures than the state’s seven worst wildfires combined. Could things have gone differently if residents had been better prepared for such a surprise onslaught? It’s impossible to say for certain, but one thing is sure: fire prevention saves lives.
There’s a new business in town wanting to make sure catastrophe doesn’t exact that kind of toll on Rogue Valley residents and businesses. The name is Oregon Fire Safe, and is owned and run by local men, Joshua Davies and Justin Fleming. Justin has been in landscaping for fifteen years. He and his wife, Elizabeth, will have welcomed baby number two by the time this publishes. Justin and Josh are Rogue Valley natives, each living on the same properties in Talent where they were raised. They share a deep concern for their Rogue Valley home and neighbors.
Josh explained their motivation for launching Oregon Fire Safe. “Both of us saw the need for creating preventable fire spaces around houses. We both care about our communities and we don’t want them to get all burned up! So, we kind of looked around and realized that there weren’t any companies that were really just trying to create defensible spaces for fire. Both Justin and I really care about forests and yards and landscape and beautiful things, but we also don’t want them to be dangerous.”
Though the business is fresh, they’ve already helped save one resident from losing their homeowner’s insurance. Josh explained, “We did a consultation with them. We are certified with Firewise and use the National Firewise guidelines (co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior and the National Assn. of State Foresters) for how we create defensible spaces, but they had an insurance company that used a different one. We didn’t want to cut down all their oak trees because they live in a beautiful little oak savannah. We talked with them, we talked with their insurance company, and their insurance company ended up recommending a new company that didn’t require all of that. So we were able to use a little bit lighter hand. We went down, cleaned up around their house and they were very happy.”
Oregon Fire Safe is fully licensed and bonded and offers free consultations. They bid on jobs depending on property size and how well it’s been maintained. They might spend an hour cleaning gutters and leaves from foundation vents for about $100. Prices rise with the scope of the project.
Their services range from a one-time thinning for properties up to 40 acres, to a fire season maintenance program, including targeting points of entry for rolling wildfire embers and screening off foundation vents and deck access. Removing dead and hazardous trees is another service for which they are licensed. Josh added, “We’re also looking into selling fire gel that can be applied to a house before you evacuate if there’s a fire coming. It reduces the chances of your house burning down.”
Oregon Fire Safe stands equipped and ready to travel wherever there’s a need—Prospect to Ashland and all points between. Phone 541-821-9593 or email them at oregonfiresafe@gmail.com to arrange for your free consultation, and breathe a little easier this summer.