What Oregon is learning from the Los Angeles wildfires
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- California's explosive and destructive wildfires are teaching Oregon how to respond if a similar event happens in the Pacific Northwest.
Some of the most impactful images that have come in from the Pacific Coast Highway area are the abandoned cars. People who had to evacuate their burning neighborhoods were forced to abandon their cars to escape the flames. Bulldozers had to be brought in to move those cars out of the way for emergency response vehicles to continue to fight the flames.
Oregon's Climatologist Larry O'Neill said that's exactly the kind of problem large cities in Oregon need to be ready to contend with should wildfires strike a heavily populated area.
"It's really the importance of the message. If you have a fast fire coming into an area, it's the information to people as quickly as possible to leave as quickly as possible. The other is having routes for evacuation that people aren't just jammed up in," said O'Neill.
Wildfire season is expected to return to the Pacific Northwest in less than six months. O'Neill said he'll be focused on three things this upcoming wildfire season in Oregon. First, the high-elevation snowpack has already been very good for the Cascades this year. It not only keeps the landscape moist from May to June, but also slows the drying out of vegetation.
"Reducing that vegetation growth gives less fuel to the fire later in the summer," said O'Neill.
The second concern is not just a wet spring, but the amount of rain in May and early June. The final event for Oregon to avoid is any early heat waves that can rapidly dry out an otherwise moist landscape.
"The early season heat waves dry out the landscape too early and that's one of the biggest indicators for wildfire risk is whether we get these early season heatwaves or not," said O'Neill.
As heartbreaking images pour in, West Linn resident Susan Piper, a wildfire prevention expert, stresses the importance of preparedness for whatever may come.
"This is a perfect time for people in Oregon to take a few minutes and begin to develop their emergency plans," she said.
There are multiple ways to financially assist with fire relief in LA. For those who can't donate funds, Juan Cotto from Bloddworks Northwest asks people to consider donating blood.
"The wildfires put a pinch on the healthcare system, and it's crucial to be in a surplus position to help," he said.