Oregon’s wildfire risk varies widely by landscape, climate, housing patterns and community capacity. That diversity makes it difficult to rely on a one-size-fits-all approach to training.
Practitioners working in community wildfire adaptation need guidance that reflects Oregon’s ecological, social and regulatory realities. They also need consistent tools and language they can use across agencies and regions.
Prior to 2025, Oregon lacked a shared, Oregon-specific training program for professionals working on the front lines of wildfire mitigation and preparedness. That gap limited opportunities to align outreach, improve coordination and build a more consistent approach to reducing wildfire risk to homes and communities.
To address that need, Oregon State University Extension Service worked with state partners to design a training model tailored to Oregon.
Members of the OSU Extension Fire Program worked with the Oregon State Fire Marshal Fire Risk Reduction team, the Oregon State Fire Marshal Defensible Space Program coordinator and representatives from the Oregon Department of Forestry to develop the Oregon Community Wildfire Adaptation Training program in 2024.
