Staff Report / Bendlocal.org

**Bend Fire & Rescue Sees Sharp Increase in Wildfire Preparedness Requests**

Bend Fire & Rescue in Bend, Oregon, reports a significant increase in requests from residents wanting home assessments to prepare for wildfires. Over the past month, the demand has already doubled compared to the total number of assessments completed last year. As a result, the Fire Prevention Team’s schedule is fully booked well into wildfire season.

To address the high demand, Bend Fire & Rescue partnered with Project Wildfire to train 35 local community leaders from various HOAs and Neighborhood Districts across Central Oregon. These volunteers are now equipped to perform home wildfire assessments in their neighborhoods.

Residents interested in having a home assessment are advised to first contact their HOA or Neighborhood District board to see if trained volunteers are available in their area. For those without access to trained assessors, Bend Fire & Rescue recommends using their provided checklist to conduct a self-assessment. Alternatively, residents can still request a professional assessment through Bend Fire by signing up at bendoregon.gov/own-your-zone.

This initiative aims to help Bend residents take proactive steps to protect their homes and neighborhoods during the upcoming wildfire season.

Source: Bend Fire & Rescue

Source Type: Fire

Source Location: Bend

Bend, OR

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