Carrie Berger

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Fire Program Manager

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541-737-7524
[email protected]

Expertise: Fire

Programs: Fire Program

Department/Unit: Forestry and Natural Resources Extension

Content by Carrie Berger

Partnership improves wildfire preparedness across Oregon communities

State partners launch practical training tailored to Oregon conditions.

Kayla Bordelon, Carrie Berger | Mar 2026 | Impact story

Stories of fire: Resources for media covering wildfire events and topics in Oregon

Know what to expect when reporting on wildfires in Oregon. This guide includes safety tips, gives historic context, and describes the agencies and groups you'll interact with.

Emily Jane Davis, Hollie Smith, Carrie Berger, Christopher Adlam, Dan Morrison | Sep 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Making bigleaf maple syrup: A hobbyist's guide

This guide explains how to tap bigleaf maple trees and make the sap into maple syrup. Includes tips on tree selection, sap collection, boiling procedures, and safe storage.

Peter Matzka, Sarah Cameron, Melanie Douville, Eric T. Jones, Carrie Berger, Tiffany Hopkins | Aug 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

OSU Extension publishes accessible resources on Oregon's fire ecology

Not All Flame’s the Same explains regional fire ecology and Oregon’s diverse fire regimes.

Chris Branam | May 23, 2025 | News story

Not all flame's the same

Wildfires behave differently across Oregon’s diverse regions, from dry grasslands to dense forests. This guide explains how those differences affect the land and why it matters for managing fire and protecting communities.

Emily Jane Davis, Carrie Berger | May 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Not all flame's the same: Coast Range

Fire shaped Oregon’s Coast Range through climate, vegetation and Indigenous burning. Today, changing land use, invasive plants and climate change are increasing wildfire risk and habitat loss.

Aaron Groth, Emily Jane Davis, Carrie Berger | May 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Not all flame's the same: Willamette Valley & Western Cascades

Fire once shaped the Willamette Valley and Western Cascades through frequent Indigenous burning and occasional lightning fires, creating diverse habitats. Today, changes in land use, invasive species and climate have ...

Kayla Bordelon, Glenn Ahrens, Carrie Berger, Emily Jane Davis | May 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Not all flame's the same: Blue Mountains

In the Blue Mountains, frequent low-severity fires once supported diverse, healthy forests through Indigenous burning and lightning. Today, denser vegetation, invasive species and a warming climate have increased fire ...

Carrie Berger, Micah Schmidt, John Punches | May 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Community engagement in fire preparedness: It’s how that matters

As wildfires increase across the West, community wildfire practitioners need tools to help people prepare. Learn how to engage with local community members in ways that deepen relationships, support shared learning and make the work more meaningful.

Emily Jane Davis, Kayla Bordelon, Yasmeen Hossain, Manuel Machado, Carrie Berger | May 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Landowners’ options for prescribed burning

Growing interest in prescribed fire is catching the attention of landowners. Learn what you need to know to apply the practice to your property — starting with defining your goals.

Carrie Berger, Christopher Adlam | Apr 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed fire basics: Liability in Oregon

In rare cases, prescribed fire may lead to damages. Landowners can take precautions to reduce the chances of fire escaping and causing harm.

Jordon N. Lindsey, Ariel Cowan, Kasey Johnson, Dan Leavell, Amy Markus, Jason Pettigrew, Jillian Pihulak, John Punches, John Rizza, Jenessa Stemke, Carrie Berger | Sep 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing Oregon's westside landscapes with fire in mind

As wildfires become more frequent and intense, managing landscapes in Oregon's westside regions is crucial for both beauty and safety. The Oregon State University Extension provides key strategies for balancing fire risk reduction ...

Glenn Ahrens, Carrie Berger, Kayla Bordelon, Stephen Fitzgerald, Lauren Grand, Aaron Groth, John Punches | Aug 2024 | Collection

Managing Willamette Valley margin forests with fire in mind

Explore strategies to enhance fire resilience in the drier, mixed-severity fire-prone forests of Oregon's Willamette Valley margin. The brief emphasizes the importance of reducing fuel loads, creating defensible spaces ...

Glenn Ahrens, Carrie Berger | Aug 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing Oregon's West Cascades' high-elevation forests with fire in mind

Explore wildfire risk and resilience in Oregon’s high-elevation Cascade forests, where unique terrain and climate influence fire behavior. This guide provides strategies for building fire-smart forests and protecting communities.

John Punches, Carrie Berger | Aug 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing Douglas-fir–western hemlock forests of the Coast Range and Western Cascades with fire in mind

Discover wildfire resilience strategies for coastal and western Cascade forests. This guide offers practical advice on thinning, home hardening and habitat-informed planning to reduce fire risk while enhancing forest health.

Kayla Bordelon, Stephen Fitzgerald, Carrie Berger, Aaron Groth | Aug 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing Northwest Oregon oak ecosystems with fire in mind

Learn how to reduce wildfire risk and restore resilience in Oregon’s oak woodlands through thinning, pile burning and careful use of fire. This guide connects past practices with modern strategies for healthy, fire-adapted landscapes.

Lauren Grand, Carrie Berger | Aug 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing coastal fog belt forests with fire in mind

Discover how to make your coastal fog-belt forests more wildfire-resilient. This guide walks landowners through thinning, creating fuel breaks and managing species diversity to reduce fire intensity and protect homes while maintaining habitat values.

Aaron Groth, Carrie Berger | Aug 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Fire-resistant plants for home landscapes (in English)

Make your landscape more fire resistant by choosing and placing fire-resistant plants on your property. Visit a nursery with Paula Lupcho, OSU Master Gardener and Firewise Gardening expert, and Carrie Berger, OSU Extension Fire Program Manager, to know more.

Carrie Berger | Jul 2024 | Video

OSU Extension Fire Program expands wildfire education and partnerships

Webinars, training and regional specialists strengthen Oregon’s fire preparedness.

Francesca Lear | Jun 4, 2024 | News story

Our Future in Our Hands

Reduce the impact a wildfire might have on you and your community.

Carrie Berger, Kara Baylog, Aaron Groth, Emily Jane Davis, Dusti Linnell, Oralia Mendez | Aug 2023 | Collection

Nuestro futuro en nuestras manos: Prepare su hogar

Pasos prácticos que puede tomar para reducir el riesgo de incendio en su hogar y el área que lo rodea.

Aaron Groth, Carrie Berger, Emily Jane Davis, Kara Baylog | May 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Nuestro futuro en nuestras manos: Protéjase del humo de los incendios forestales

Usted puede proteger a sí mismo y a su familia preparándose para un evento de humo de incendios forestales. Si usted o su familia han estado expuestos al humo y están experimentando síntomas graves, como ...

Carrie Berger, Kara Baylog | May 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Nuestro futuro en nuestras manos: Haga un plan

Acciones básicas que se hace ahora pueden limitar el impacto de un incendio a usted y su comunidad. Regístrese para notificaciones de emergencias y mantenga un plan de emergencia durante un incendio forestal para ayudar a mantener a usted y a su familia seguros.

Carrie Berger, Kara Baylog | May 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed Fire Basics: Safety

Prescribed fire, like any fire, entails risk. To stay safe, wear Personal Protective Equipment, take steps to prevent heat exhaustion, use the right tools and follow the burn plan. Here are more tips to keep you safe on the ground.

Carrie Berger, John Rizza | Apr 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed Fire Basics: Fire Weather

Weather affects nearly every aspect of a prescribed burn. Weather is a matter of safety for those staffing the burn and the public. Understanding fire weather helps practitioners manage smoke and comply with regulations.

Aaron Groth, Steve Fanis, Emily Jane Davis, Carrie Berger | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed Fire Basics: Fuels

Prescribed fire focuses on addressing the overabundance of fuels on the ground. Fuels can include grass, leaf litter, sticks, shrubs and trees. Along with weather and topography, fuel is one of the key factors ...

Ariel Cowan, Christopher Adlam, Carrie Berger | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed Fire Basics: Ignition Techniques and Tools

The right ignition technique will ensure that a prescribed fire meets objectives. Fuel, weather conditions, resources and topography are all part of the ignition plan. The plan calls for specific techniques, firing patterns and tools.

John Rizza, Carrie Berger | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed Fire Basics: Monitoring and Evaluation

Prescribed fires are used to achieve specific goals. Monitoring and evaluation ensure that the burn plan is followed and its goals are met.

Christopher Adlam, Ariel Cowan, Carrie Berger | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Fire FAQs—Have the size and severity of forest wildfires increased in Oregon and across the West?

Presents research findings from the last ten years on the patterns of fire sizes since the 1980s. One in a series of fire FAQs that are based on questions Forest & Natural Resource Extension agents and ...

Max Bennett, Stephen Fitzgerald, Dan Leavell, Carrie Berger | Oct 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog

Episode 20: Fire Adapted Communities (in English)

In this episode, Lauren Grand is joined by Carrie Berger & Emily Jane Davis to discuss how communities can be better prepared for wildfires.

Lauren Grand, Carrie Berger, Emily Jane Davis | May 2022 | Podcast episode

Episode 19: OSU Extension Fire Program Team (in English)

In this episode, Lauren Grand gets to know the members of the OSU Extension Fire Program.

Lauren Grand, Aaron Groth, Carrie Berger, Ariel Cowan, Katherine Wollstein, Christopher Adlam, John Rizza, Emily Jane Davis | May 2022 | Podcast episode

Episode 5: Fire (in English)

In this episode, Carrie Berger is joined by David Lewis and Amanda Rau to talk all things fire - including what is it, how it's used, and its benefits.

Carrie Berger, Amanda Rau, David G. Lewis | Mar 2022 | Podcast episode

Fire behavior

Fire behavior is a function of available fuel, site topography and weather. People who practice prescribed burning take all these elements into account to achieve the objectives of the burn.

John Rizza, Christopher Adlam, Carrie Berger | Feb 2026 | OSU Extension Catalog

Planning a Prescribed Burn

Prescribed burning practitioners follow a detailed burn plan that spells out objectives and ways to achieve them safety. Burn plans cover equipment, site preparation, smoke management, contingencies, communication and cleanup.

John Rizza, Christopher Adlam, Dan Leavell, Jacob Putney, Carrie Berger | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

The Ecological Effects of Fire

Fire alters landscapes, plant communities, animal habitat, and even water and soil. Fire can sometimes be a force for good, boosting species diversity and ecological resilience. Examine how fire suppression and climate change are altering the ecological effects of fire.

Christopher Adlam, Carrie Berger | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Smoke management

Prescribed burns are an important tool in preventing wildfires, but the smoke they produce can be more than just a nuisance. Besides reducing visibility, smoke can affect the health and safety of firefighters and...

Amanda Rau, Stephen Fitzgerald, Emily Jane Davis, Carrie Berger | Dec 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed Fire: Why We Burn

Prescribed burning is the practice of intentional burning to obtain specific results. People practice prescribed fire to improve habitat, improve the health of forests and rangelands, and to reduce wildfire risk. ...

Christopher Adlam, Carrie Berger | Feb 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing a Prescribed Burn

Carrying out a prescribed burn takes careful planning. A detailed burn plan lays out objectives and how to achieve them. Before putting fire on the ground, conduct briefings and test fires. Once the burn begins,...

John Rizza, Amanda Rau, Carrie Berger | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Prescribed fire training builds foundation for effective landscape restoration

NRCS staff learn how prescribed fire restores Oregon landscapes.

Kym Pokorny | Jan 14, 2022 | News story

Prescribed Fire Trainings Benefit Communities and Landscapes (in English)

The use of prescribed fire is a critical tool in both range and forest land management. OSU Extension and partners got together to provide prescribed burning awareness, education and training. The prescribed fire training gives ...

Emily Jane Davis, Carrie Berger, Amanda Rau, Andrew Owen, Tom Synder | Jan 2022 | Video

After-the-fire guide and checklist for returning to your property

If your property has been affected by a wildfire, here is a step-by-step guide for what to do when you return after the fire. The steps will provide some organization for the process.

Dan Leavell, Stephen Fitzgerald, Carrie Berger | Nov 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Episode 1: Welcome to the "In The Woods" Podcast (in English)

Listen to this episode to see what OSU Extension Forestry and this podcast are all about!

Lauren Grand, Carrie Berger, Stephen Fitzgerald, Jason O'Brien, Jacob Putney | Sep 2020 | Podcast episode

Fire FAQs — Are Structures Fuel? The Wildland Urban Interface and the 'Built' Environment

We now need to consider structures themselves as a fuel type contributing to wildfires, along with other potentially hazardous fuel such as wood piles, propane tanks and automobiles. In this context, the home ...

Dan Leavell, Stephen Fitzgerald, Carrie Berger, Gavin Horn | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

What is a red flag warning?

A red flag warning means high fire danger. The National Weather Service issues red flag warnings to alert land management agencies to critical conditions that could lead to rapid increases in wildfire activity. The forecasts are critical information for planning prescribed burns.

Carrie Berger | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

What to know about wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke is more than a nuisance. It is a public health hazard that can harm the lungs and cardiovascular system. Here's a look at what makes smoke dangerous and what can be done about it.

Carrie Berger | Apr 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Fire FAQs — Who owns Oregon's forests, and how does that matter when it comes to fire?

Oregon's wildfire landscape is clouded by the mix of public and private interests that control more than 30 million acres. Forests make up nearly half of Oregon, and most forests fall under federal management. ...

Lauren Grand, Carrie Berger, Stephen Fitzgerald, Dan Leavell | Aug 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Fire FAQs—What is forest fuel, and what are fuel treatments?

Forest fuel is combustible biomass—everything from needles and twigs to shrubs, downed trees, and logs. Wildland fire managers reduce and rearrange fuel to reduce the probability of forest fires. Fuel treatments ...

Stephen Fitzgerald, Carrie Berger, Dan Leavell | Apr 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Fire FAQs—What is fire severity?

Fire severity is a measure of the effects of fire on the environment—both in damage to vegetation and impacts on the soil. Fire severity is driven by weather conditions, the topography of the landscape, and the fuels that are present. Of these, weather is the overriding factor.

Carrie Berger, Lauren Grand, Stephen Fitzgerald, Dan Leavell | Oct 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog

Fire FAQs: Air-quality impacts from prescribed fire and wildfire

Prescribed fires are subject to strict air-quality standards. But wildfire smoke is harder to predict and control. Learn how the effects of these two very different forms of fire compare.

Carrie Berger, Stephen Fitzgerald, Dan Leavell, Janice Peterson | Feb 2026 | OSU Extension Catalog

Fire FAQs—Salvage Cutting: What are the effects on fire behavior and severity?

Discusses the purpose and benefits of salvage cutting. One in a part of a series of fire FAQs that are based on questions Forest & Natural Resource Extension agents and specialists have received from the people they serve.

Stephen Fitzgerald, Carrie Berger, Dan Leavell, Lauren Grand | Mar 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

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