Applegater Summer 2017
Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc.
PO Box 14
Jacksonville, OR 97530
Photo by Teya Jacobi
applegater.org
Celebrating
Applegate Valley Community Newsmagazine
SUMMER 2017
Volume 10, No. 2
~24~
Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 11,000
Think embers and
continuous fuels
BY SANDY SHAFFER
Another March, another drive over the
Siskiyous and Sierras down to Reno for the
annual WUI (Wildland Urban Interface)
Conference. This year our Applegate
Fire District’s new office manager, Tallie
Jackson, joined me for the trip. Reno is a
good, well-rounded conference for her to
learn more about the WUI and the wildfire
1
issues that we all face here in the Applegate.
I’ve attended this conference the past
dozen or so years and looked forward
to seeing some old friends, learning new
concepts, and hearing how the coming
summer wildfire season was sizing up. The
wet winter was definitely discussed. Not
much new science-wise, but there was a lot
BENEFIT FOR
Applegater NEWSMAGAZINE
Family BBQ!
Years
was honored in Reno by
receiving the 2017 Wildfire
Mitigation Legacy Award—
the first time anyone has
received this honor.
In past Applegater articles
I’ve discussed the Home
Ignition Zone (HIZ) course
I took from Dr. Cohen.
I’ve used his photos to
help explain the HIZ, I’ve
discussed how to define
your particular HIZ, I’ve
This home ignited due to fine fuels around it quoted Dr. Cohen on
during the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire in Colorado. “discontinuous fuels,” I’ve
called him “the HIZ guru,”
of talk about both the safety of firefighters and I’ve shared his work with you, my
and the motivation of WUI residents to Applegate neighbors.
When I looked up those old articles on
make their homes firesafe.
However, the recent retirement of the HIZ, how it differs from “defensible
someone I’ve admired and learned from space,” and why homes burn in wildfires,
for many years came as a surprise. Jack I found that it’s been over ten years since I
D. Cohen, PhD, had been the US Forest wrote them! Time sure does fly (or maybe
Service’s post-fire investigator and WUI I’m just getting old?)! But, considering how
mitigation specialist for decades. Dr. Cohen
See THINK EMBERS, page 24
Paragliders to add color
to the sky soon!
BY DAVID DOBBS
SUNDAY
JULY
23
LIVE MUSIC
“STILL LOOKING” BAND
2-6
PM
fishing booth • CORNHOLE GAME
FOOD & BEVERAGES
BBQ Chicken
Cowboy Beans
Green Salad and Bread
Complimentary Lemonade
Wine and Hard Cider
available for purchase
SILENT AUCTION
Art
Wine and Food
Spa Treatments
and more
Each June I get a quick glimpse of the
paragliding event called Rat Race - Sprint
Paragliding Competition and Super Clinic
as I drive past Woodrat Mountain on
Highway 238. How many paragliders can
cluster suspended in midair? Who can stay
afloat the longest? Who can spot the target
on land first and race to retrieve it? Does
the first one down have to pay for a round
of wine? Regardless, they are probably
enjoying themselves while I’m attempting
to drive responsibly while (not) heeding
the posted warning signs not to look up.
The 2017 Rat Race competition runs
from June 18 through 24. Practice day is
June 17.
For those of you who want to enjoy the
paragliding event with your feet on the
ground and your eyes safely following the
action in the sky, the event coordinators
recommend visiting Fiasco, Longsword,
or Red Lily wineries. They all have ample
parking and viewing spots. “Longsword is
probably the best seat in the house,” claims
paraglider Norm Young. “It has plenty of
See RAT RACE, page 3
RAFFLE PRIZE
TICKETS AVAILABLE JUNE 15 • PURCHASE BY JULY 16 • NO TICKETS AT DOOR
LOCATION
APPLEGATE RIVER LODGE
15100 HIGHWAY 238
APPLEGATE
KIDS $5
6 - 12*
ADULTS $15 /
2 FOR $25
*KIDS 5 & under ARE FREE
Local Postal Customer
TICKETS
APPLEGATER.ORG
evENTBRite.com
RUCH COUNTRY STORE
Nonprofit Org
US Postage
PAID
Permit #125
Medford OR
ECRWSSEDDM
Rat Race paragliding competitors will add color to the sky and
a temptation for you to look up while driving (don’t do it). Photo: Julie Gever, flickr.com.