Firefighters remind the community about the importance of defensible space

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – Crews working the Upper Applegate Fire are working Tuesday to protect private homes and structures.

Thanks to interagency cooperation on the fire, crews have been able to focus on getting ahead of it.

They’re working to create and build up defensible space around structures by removing combustible materials like pine needles and other debris in anticipation of the fire potentially changing course.

Firefighters are also reminding the community about the importance of doing the same around their own homes even if they aren’t in the path of a wildfire.

“Anywhere where a fire ember can land, any of that fuel, pine needles in the gutter, on the deck, vegetation underneath decks,” says Brian Mulhollen from Applegate Fire District.

Those things are the actual things that burn down homes more likely than a flame front.

Firefighters say residents can protect their homes by removing leaves and other flammable debris from within 100 feet of the property and keeping roofs and gutters clear of pine needles.