Volunteer firefighters run a prescribed burn at the Wanaket Wildlife Area outside Hermiston, Ore., on May 15, 2024, as part of a training with the Nature Conservancy and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
April Ehrlich / OPB
Oregon recently launched a pilot program to provide liability coverage for prescribed burns that don’t go as intended. The program covers up to $1 million in damages per burn. It’s being managed in tandem with the state’s certified burn manager program, which provides training on how to safely and effectively use prescribed fire on a variety of landscapes. Taken together, the two programs are meant to make it easier and less risky for businesses and contractors to conduct prescribed burns in the state.
Amanda Rau is the statewide prescribed fire coordinator for the Oregon Department of Forestry. She joins us to talk more about the programs and how she hopes they’ll increase the use of prescribed fire in Oregon.
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