Applegater Spring 2025
Rogue Valley Prescribed
Burn Association spring events
21
BY AARON KRIKAVA
maintain healthy and fire-resilient forests
and woodlands around us. This is where
community effort really makes a difference.
Working together with our neighbors as
part of the RVPBA, we can implement safe,
effective, and inexpensive controlled burns
in our area. In times of greater national
turmoil and uncertainty, supporting and
strengthening local relationships is even
more important for the safety of our
community. As we move into the spring-
controlled burn season, the RVPBA is
offering a variety of training events for
folks to learn and practice their prescribed
burning skills, so we’ll be ready to go when
the weather is right. If you’d like to be a
part of this valuable work, join us at one
of these events and sign up for our email
list at roguevalleypba.com.
1. March 7—Property Evaluation
Workshop and Field Tour
Location: Pacifica, 14615 Water Gap
Road, Williams, 10 am-2 pm
Cost: Free
At this free workshop and field tour
at Pacifica: A Garden in the Siskiyous,
we will explain the
factors that go into
evaluating a property
for a prescribed burn
and the considerations
for laying out a burn
unit. The tour will
explore the property
and see examples of
areas that are ideal
for burning and other
areas that need more
work before fire can
be applied safely.
These evaluations are
the first step toward
Applegaters preparing tools for a community-led controlled burn. i m p l e m e n t i n g a
Photo: Chris Adlam. controlled burn. The
Rogue Valley Prescribed Burn
Association (RVPBA) is offering a variety
of fun and educational training events
this spring.
Preparing for a landscape-scale
event like a wildfire requires landscape-
scale community collaboration. Rural
communities like ours have always worked
together for the health and well-being
of the diverse environment we all enjoy
and the communities we all care about.
Developing a landscape that is resilient
to natural events like wildfire requires
maintenance and is a multistep and
ongoing process. We are fortunate in our
area to have many groups like the Applegate
Partnership and Watershed Council
(APWC), the Oregon Department of
Forestry (ODF), and the Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS). They can
help with grant funding to implement the
initial step of mechanical fuel reduction
that the majority of our landscapes require
after decades of fire exclusion.
The critical second step is prescribed
burning. This is the best method to
Applegaters increasing forest health and community wildfire resilience,
working together to implement a controlled burn. Photo: Aaron Krikava.
more site evaluations we can accomplish,
the more ecologically and socially beneficial
burns we can conduct.
Register at form.jotform.
com/242876871258168 or email clair@
pacificagarden.org.
2. April 4, 5, and 6—IGNITE
Prescribed Fire Skills training
Location: Siskiyou Field Institute, 1241
Illinois River Road, Selma, 9 am-5 pm
Cost: $25
We are excited to have our second
annual IGNITE Prescribed Fire Skills
training at Siskiyou Field Institute. This
training is for anyone who wants to
learn about the intentional use of fire for
healthy landscapes and safer communities.
Experienced instructors will teach hands-
on skills including weather monitoring,
equipment use, ignition techniques, and
basic burn planning. Additional talks will
cover fire science, Indigenous cultural
burning, and more. This event is offered
in partnership with the OSU Extension’s
Fire Program and ODF. You can register
at blogs.oregonstate.edu/ignite.
3. April 12—S130/S190 Field
Day Exercise and Pack Test
Location: ODF Headquarters, 5286
Table Rock Road, Central Point, 8 am-3 pm
Cost: Free
This workshop is for anyone interested
in learning the basic tools and skills of
wildland firefighting (many of which are
also useful for prescribed burning) and/
or being certified for employment as a
wildland firefighter. Training stations
will include hand tools, their use and
maintenance, ignition devices, fire engines,
hose packs, and radio communication. In
conjunction with free online coursework,
this class will allow participants to complete
the requirements to be qualified as a
National Wildfire Coordinating Group
(NWCG) Fire Fighter Type 2 (FFT2/basic
firefighter). For individuals seeking FFT2
certification, the necessary fire shelter
deployment and arduous pack test will
also be offered. For questions or to register,
email RogueValleyPBA@gmail.com.
Aaron Krikava
RogueValleyPBA@gmail.com
For residents of the Applegate Valley
interested in joining the effort, the
RVPBA offers a variety of ways to get
involved. Whether through attending
workshops, volunteering, participating
in prescribed burn operations, or helping
to feed volunteers on burns, there are
opportunities for everyone to contribute
to a safer, healthier landscape. To learn
more about the RVPBA’s work in the
Applegate and to sign up to volunteer or
have your land tended, visit their website
at roguevalleypba.com.
Recently, the RVPBA, Oregon State
University (OSU) Extension Services
Fire Program, Southern Oregon Forest
Restoration Collaborative, and Pacifica:
A Garden in the Siskiyous have begun
to collaborate to create more educational
opportunities for community members,
including students and families. Our
next event, Intro to Planning a Prescribed
Burn Workshop, is scheduled from 10
am-2 pm Friday, March 7, at Pacifica: A
Garden in the Siskiyous, 14615 Water
Gap Road, Williams. This workshop will
explore the different factors involved in
evaluating a site for a controlled burn, as
well as layout and design of burn units.
The workshop will be led by Chris Adlam,
the OSU Extension Services fire specialist
for southwest Oregon, and Aaron Krikava,
the organizer of RVPBA. Register for the
workshop using the QR code above. We
hope to see you in the field soon!
Clair Highfield • 541-787-5762
clair@pacificagarden.org
Applegate Valley
prescribed burn efforts
BY CLAIR HIGHFIELD
In the Applegate Valley, we have become
familiar with fire and smoke over the past
decade, and now community members are
collaborating to reduce the risk of wildfires
with prescribed burns. One of the most
beneficial remedies to reduce wildfire risk
is intentional, prescribed, controlled, or
Indigenous-style fire. Wildfires, while
dangerous, are also a natural part of many
ecosystems, particularly in the Pacific
Northwest. Unfortunately, generations
of fire suppression have led to the
accumulation of excess vegetation and a
higher risk of large-scale, destructive fires.
People in the Applegate Valley are
coming together to conduct more
community pile burns, prescribed burns,
and educational opportunities through the
Rogue Valley Prescribed Burn Association
(RVPBA). The prescribed burn movement
is community members working together
to reduce fuels, restore ecosystems, and
improve our relationship with fire. The
RVPBA helps residents work together to
reduce fuel loads and enhance wildfire
resilience in their neighborhoods.
Prescribed burning requires significant
c o m m u n i t y c o o p e r a t i o n . Un l i k e
traditional firefighting, which is often
reactive, prescribed burning is proactive
and relies on shared responsibility among
landowners, agencies, and local groups.
This is why the RVPBA began.
The RVPBA approach is rooted in
collaboration. By organizing groups of
landowners and providing the necessary
tools and knowledge, the RVPBA
fosters a collective effort that not only
reduces wildfire risks but also strengthens
community ties. The success of the
Prescribed Burn Association has been
evident through expanding partnerships
and a proven track record of conducting
safe, effective burns.