CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Oregon State University Extension Fire Program drew more than 400 registrants for its recent webinar, Not All Flame is the Same, adding another chapter to the program’s statewide fire education and preparedness efforts.
The hour-long webinar, published on YouTube and viewed more than 250 times within three weeks, explored how fire has shaped Oregon’s landscapes historically and today. The presentation was delivered by the program’s team of regional fire specialists who work across the state.
In addition to webinars, the program has strengthened community preparedness partnerships and landscape planning efforts during its first four years.
Since its creation and funding by the Oregon Legislature, the Fire Program has presented more than 25 webinars. According to program director EJ Davis, the sessions help specialists reach broader audiences and share timely, science-based information about fire’s role in ecosystems.
In addition to webinars, the program has strengthened community preparedness partnerships and landscape planning efforts during its first four years.
The program’s origins predate the 2020 wildfire season. In 2017, based on the need for more wildfire education, the OSU Extension Forestry and Natural Resources Program developed a fire science curriculum. That effort later grew into the proposal funded by the Legislature.
“A lot of people think we got started in 2020 because of the Labor Day fires, but this had been in the making for years,” Davis said.
Carrie Berger, who has managed the Fire Program since its launch, added: “Because Oregon is so diverse, we needed a program with capacity that could reach audiences across the state.”
A team of six regional specialists was hired to help build fire-adapted communities and resilient ecosystems.
“They are intended to be a go-to in their regional areas for all things wildland fire,” Davis said. “They are experts on the past, present and future of wildfire in their areas and help connect people to resources in their communities.”
Berger noted that Oregon’s varied geography — including rangelands, the coast, the valley, and southwest, Central and northeast Oregon — demands place-based knowledge for effective fire education and planning.
“Fire can happen anywhere in Oregon,” Davis said. “We have always had fire. Even at the coast, even at high elevation moist forests.”
Partnerships are essential
The 2020 wildfire season was the most destructive in Oregon history. Fueled by a Labor Day windstorm, fires killed at least 11 people, burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed thousands of homes.
In 2021, the Fire Program launched Fire Aware. Fire Prepared. The program led an interagency team to produce Wildfire Wednesdays, an 11-episode webinar series focused on preparedness at the individual, community and landscape levels. By the end of 2021, participants from all 36 Oregon counties had engaged with the series, and more than 10,000 people either attended or watched recordings.
“The Fire Program is all about partnerships,” Davis said. “Wildfire is large and complex, and no single entity can deal with it alone.”
The program collaborates with the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State Fire Marshal, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and numerous local partners, including watershed councils and Firewise communities. Cross-program work is also common. For example, the Oregon Naturalist Program hosts fire specialists at events and webinars.
Recently, the Fire Program and its partners received a gold medal from the Association for Communication Excellence for the bilingual booklet Nuestro Futuro en Nuestras Manos/Our Future in Our Hands. The publication helps families prepare for wildfire by covering topics such as creating a go-bag, protecting homes, managing smoke and supporting mental health.
Landscape-scale work
The Fire Program supports planning, implementation and monitoring of landscape resiliency projects. Outreach, education and training on prescribed fire — a critical land management tool — are central to this effort.
“We offer the full spectrum of [prescribed fire] education and training — from introductory to advanced,” Berger said.
The Prescribed Fire Basics digital publication series provides foundational information about burns and the steps involved in planning and implementation. Ignite Prescribed Fire Trainings, hosted in 2024 by Southwest regional fire specialist Chris Adlam, included hands-on skills and Indigenous cultural perspectives on fire.
The Fire Program is also a Certified Burn Manager Program service provider, offering training for Oregonians seeking burn manager certification.
In 2021, the Fire Program created a three-day prescribed fire training for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The training enabled NRCS staff to recommend prescribed fire for land restoration. Additional training in May 2024 brought NRCS staff from across the country.
Meet the team
The Fire Program faculty and staff include:
- EJ Davis, director and associate professor of practice, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, College of Forestry; principal investigator for the Northwest Fire Science Consortium.
- Carrie Berger, manager, supporting regional specialists and guiding program direction toward resilient communities, fire-adapted ecosystems and cultures of adaptation.
- Chris Adlam, assistant professor of practice and Southwest Oregon regional fire specialist since 2020, focusing on prescribed and cultural fire, forest restoration and community preparedness.
- Kayla Bordelon, assistant professor of practice and regional fire specialist for the Willamette Valley and Columbia Gorge since 2022, focusing on equitable wildfire adaptation, collaboration and education.
- Ariel Cowan, assistant professor of practice and Central Oregon regional fire specialist since 2020, with expertise in prescribed fire, forest health and community engagement.
- Aaron Groth, assistant professor of practice and Oregon Coast regional fire specialist since 2021, specializing in disaster preparedness, geography and environmental education.
- Micah Schmidt, assistant professor of practice and Northeast Oregon regional fire specialist, with expertise in fire ecology, forest restoration and geospatial analysis.
- Katie Wollstein, assistant professor of practice and rangeland fire specialist for Southeastern Oregon since 2020, based at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center in Burns, focusing on integrated range and fire management.
- Autumn Ellison, outreach coordinator for the Fire Program and coordinator for the Northwest Fire Science Consortium, supporting awareness and adoption of wildland fire science.
- Manuel Machado, natural resources workforce program coordinator, developing bilingual, learner-centered materials for Latiné forest workers and building awareness of Oregon’s forest workforce.
Previously titled OSU Extension Fire Program celebrates four years of impactful outreach
