Wildfire Resilience
What We Do
The South Santiam Watershed Council is proud to be a partner of Wildfire Ready Linn County. This initiative brings together local fire districts, watershed councils, and county and state agencies to help our community prepare for wildfires.
Wildfire Ready Linn County offers free home assessments, training sessions, and community events designed to help homeowners minimize wildfire risk on their properties. We provide practical guidance on defensible space, fuels reduction, and wildfire readiness while connecting people with local programs and support. From chipper days and defensible space projects to youth workforce training and community education. Wildfire Ready Linn County helps communities complete projects and take practical steps toward long-term wildfire readiness.
Free Home Assessments
A trained professional will walk your property with you, identify potential concerns, and provide practical recommendations related to defensible space, fuels reduction, home access, and other wildfire readiness measures.
Outreach and Education
We provide community events, neighborhood support, and K–12 wildfire education to help residents and families better understand wildfire risk and readiness.
Fuels Reduction
We support defensible space and fuels reduction work through professional crews, youth workforce programs, and free community chipper days.
Watershed Restoration and Wildfire Resilience
Research increasingly shows a strong connection between watershed restoration practices and improved wildfire resilience. Restoring rivers, streams, and wetlands can increase surface water, raise groundwater levels, and improve soil moisture. These changes create wetter landscape corridors that are better able to withstand wildfire impacts.
These restored landscapes support wildfire resilience efforts by creating natural barriers that help define fire boundaries, capture ash and sediment after a wildfire, and provide a refuge for wildlife during a wildfire. Additionally, they slow the movement of water across the landscape, thereby decreasing localized drought conditions that lead to wildfires in the first place. The South Santiam Watershed Council is working with partners to implement and promote watershed restoration practices for the multitude of benefits they provide to the community and the ecosystem.
Oregon Wildfire Dashboard
Use the interactive map below to explore local wildfire information, alerts, and air quality data.
