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County emergency manager and fire officials review Flat Fire response, urge Firewise action
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Summary
Deschutes County emergency management and local fire officials described lessons from the Flat Fire—which affected over 800 properties and destroyed five homes—and urged continued defensible-space work, Firewise community participation and signups for Deschutes Alerts.
Deschutes County emergency management and Redmond-area fire officials presented a post-incident review of the Flat Fire and urged residents to maintain defensible space and sign up for emergency alerts.
County emergency manager Ben Duda said the fire directly impacted more than 800 homes and destroyed five residences and various outbuildings; he credited pre-existing fuels reduction, defensible-space work and mutual-aid agreements for limiting losses and protecting many properties. Officials said mutual-aid resources and a rapid governor-approved conflagration declaration brought engines and crews from across the state, allowing firefighters to get resources into the field quickly.
Local fire officials described the Firewise USA program (administered through the National Fire Chiefs Association and supported locally by the Oregon Department of Forestry) and said small neighborhood efforts — three to five residents organizing and documenting work — can make a meaningful difference. The fire marshal and county staff discussed a recent State Fire Marshal grant that funded defensible-space assistance; presenters stated that 24 property owners benefited from the program to improve defensible space on their properties.
Airport and county operations staff also described operational protocols: Roberts Field (Redmond Municipal Airport) and city crews maintain priority areas, track chemical-and-plow use, and must meet FAA/TALPA (Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment) runway-condition requirements; airport staff said a new 10-yard dry chemical spreader arriving in January will help meet runway treatment timelines.
Officials urged residents to sign up for Deschutes Alerts and to take ongoing, year-round steps such as reducing combustible materials within the first five feet of structures, removing bark mulch and limbing trees.
Officials closed by offering city and county resources (free defensible-space assessments, public education programs) and encouraged HOAs and new residents to engage with Firewise efforts.
No council action was required on the presentation; the council acknowledged and thanked presenters.
