Wildfire, Wildfire, Stay Away…
by Bob Buddemeier, with contributions from Robert Mumby and Drew Gilliland
Why is there a bulldozer on the steep slopes of Barneburg Hill? For a combination of two reasons – (1) The summer wildfire season is rapidly approaching, and (2) The RVM Facilities Services Department is preparing on the basis of hard-won experience. One of the preparations is maintaining a part of the RVM infrastructure that most residents never see — the fire defense system, consisting of fire roads and a hillside sprinkler system.
In September 2020, the Almeda fire moved rapidly north from Ashland, destroying much of Talent and Phoenix, and – still uncontrolled – approached RVM on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 8. RVM Administration ordered an evacuation. Residents who could self-evacuate did so, and RVM staff transported those who could not leave on their own, including all residents in the licensed facilities.
[If you were not here, or wish to refresh your memory, a more complete version of the backstory with links to resident descriptions of their experiences is attached as an appendix at the end of this article.]
Upper fire road
The view downslope from the top of the hill
Fortunately, the fire was stopped short of RVM, and there were neither casualties nor damage. However, it was what is politely referred to as a “learning experience.” In spite of the fact that the evacuation occurred in good weather on a weekday afternoon when a full complement of staff was on hand, the process was dangerously slow and hampered by communication problems and a lack of well-understood plans.
Over the following year both Administration and resident organizations addressed the issues of improving the speed and effectiveness of emergency responses. A major outcome was the decision, made jointly by the RVM Administration and local fire authorities, to adopt a shelter-in-place strategy rather than evacuation. It was determined that the high-rise buildings are sufficiently fireproof to protect all residents from the maximum credible wildfire.
Drew Gilliland, Director of Facilities Services, described the procedures put in place to improve the defensibility of the site. “The first year we put a lot of effort into fuel reduction – mowing, trimming, removal of flammable materials, and so on,” he said. “The second year we were still following up, but the load was much lighter.”
The fuel reduction program actually passed an effectiveness test in August, 2023, when a fire of unknown origin broke out on the NW side of the hill. Medford Fire Department responded promptly, and the grass fire never became intensive enough to kill the trees or mature shrubs.
When Drew was asked if he was satisfied with the level of flammability reduction achieved, he said that in general he was, but that there was some vegetation under the decks of the 1200 block cottages that he would like to see removed, since that was the area of the site most exposed to incoming fire.
However, RVM has undertaken more active protective measures – hence the annual visits of the bulldozer. The most vulnerable approaches to the built-up area are the steep slopes lapping around the west side of the hill. Drew explained that water lines with a series of sprinkler heads (approximate locations shown below) have been installed on the hillside, and that access roads are needed not only to maintain the emergency irrigation system, but also to provide access for firefighting equipment.
