This month, the South Santiam Watershed Council and partners with Wildfire Ready Linn County visited a project site where the Linn County Juvenile Department (LCJD) is putting wildfire preparedness into action. LCJD crews are working to create defensible space around high-priority homes in Linn County.

Defensible space is the area between a home and the surrounding vegetation that can be managed to reduce the risk of wildfire spreading to a structure. By removing dense vegetation, reducing fuels, and creating separation around homes, defensible space can help slow the spread of wildfire and give homes a better chance of surviving.

Through Wildfire Ready Linn County, LCJD participants are gaining hands-on experience and job skills related to fuels reduction and fire-related careers. The work provides an opportunity to learn by doing, while making a tangible difference for homeowners and communities across Linn County.

It’s a great example of how wildfire preparedness can create benefits that extend beyond a single property: safer homes, stronger communities, and new pathways to future careers.