Although many Clatsop County residents and visitors believe wildfire is not a risk on the Coast, fire has always played a role in this place. By examining the history of fire in the Coast Range, and also current trends, we can have a better understanding of what the future of fire may look like in our area. Indigenous people used fire as a land management tool for millennia, as seen in the presence of the open habitats of the Clatsop Plains and other prairies and headland grasslands of the Coast, now in decline. Stand-replacing crown fires, such as the Tillamook and Wolf Creek Fires, have a long and well-documented history. These are a hazard for all our communities and residents. Our larger coastal population, along with changes to land use and our climate are increasing the risk and impacts of future fires in the region. With this background, we will discuss how individuals and communities can prepare for wildfire.
Aaron is the Coastal Oregon Regional Fire specialist in the OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Fire Program. Aaron works with communities as well as local, state, federal, private, and nonprofit partners at different scales across the Coast to provide education and foster fire-resilient communities and landscapes. He has worked for city, state, and federal agencies, international cooperation, and nonprofits, and served as an Environmental Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru.
The Thursday Talk program is a reoccurring community lecture series every Thursday, October through May. Thank you to our 2023 Partners –
- 1st Thursdays – Ales & Ideas w/ Clatsop Community College
- 2nd Thursdays – Wit & Wisdom w/ Philosofarian
- 3rd Thursdays – Thursday Night Talk w/ Clatsop County Historical Society
- 4th Thursdays – Nature Matters w/ Lewis & Clark National Parks, National Parks Service, and North Coast Watershed Association
WHERE: Fort George Brewery, 1483 Duane Street Astoria, OR 97103 Map
