Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Program (FNR) is working to create welcoming, engaging spaces where people can come together to learn how to prepare for wildfires. In recent years, wildfires in Oregon have become larger and more frequent — increasing the need for inclusive, community-centered education.
Expanding access to wildfire education and preparedness tools — especially for Latino communities and other underserved groups — is essential to creating a more resilient Oregon.
Historically, OSU Extension foresters have served private forest landowners — a population that is largely white, English-speaking and often retired. Today, the Fire Program is expanding its focus to include communities that haven’t been well-served by traditional wildfire preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
In 2022, an anonymous donation — combined with existing program funds — supported outreach to non-English speaking communities through education, events and translated materials. The donor, whose friend lost a home to wildfire, was inspired by the Fire Program’s Fire Aware. Fire Prepare. webinar series and wanted to help bring wildfire education to new audiences.
With this support, Extension staff took on several new activities. They provided bilingual wildfire preparedness information in Spanish and English at events such as Latino Fest in Madras, the Alameda Fire Commemoration in Phoenix and the Resource Fair in Williams. Staff also interviewed wildfire survivors in Spanish to better understand each community’s specific needs.
FNR developed a series of informational cards in Spanish, covering:
- Basic steps to prepare homes for wildfire
- Simple actions to reduce risk before a fire starts
- How to be smoke ready
- Mental health resources for before, during and after a wildfire
This work led to new partnerships with community-based organizations including Conexon Fénix, the Jackson County Long Term Recovery Group and members of the Latinx Interagency Committee. These partners expressed strong interest in OSU Extension taking a more active role in meetings and events — helping share resources, raise awareness and support communitywide wildfire resilience.
The Fire Program’s efforts highlight a key lesson: building statewide wildfire resilience means reaching all Oregonians. Expanding access to wildfire education and preparedness tools — especially for Latino communities and other underserved groups — is essential to creating a more resilient Oregon.
