Committee reviews wildfire-preparedness outreach, cameras and PG&E pole inspections

Committee members discussed recent wildfire-preparedness outreach events and technology demonstrations intended to help the community detect and reduce fire risk.

Members who attended a PG&E-sponsored event at Springwater Grange described camera systems calibrated to detect smoke and differentiate between permitted backyard burning and unsafe ignitions. One committee member said the cameras are fixed, cover overlapping sectors and can identify unusual smoke patterns, and that organizers could not rotate them like a portable camera.

Committee members urged residents to sign up for emergency alerts and to follow Red Cross guidance for evacuation levels (level 1, 2, 3). They also discussed property-level mitigation: creating a zero- to four-foot defensible space near utility poles and clearing brush near houses. One resident noted dry brush behind a school fence and a derelict burned house that had not been cleared; the committee encouraged neighbors to report hazardous properties.

City staff reported that an independent contractor working on behalf of PG&E has been inspecting poles and leaving brochures recommending a four-foot cleared perimeter around pole locations and advising residents to call PG&E for clearance work. The committee also discussed masks and respirators for smoke events and the availability of N95/KN95 respirators.

Members said they will share wildfire materials on the committee’s portion of the city website and distribute printed materials at upcoming events, including the Oregon Livestock Council’s event and National Night Out.