The Applegater

Applegater Summer 2017 1 Photo by Teya Jacobi applegater.org Applegate Valley Community Newspaper, Inc. PO Box 14 Jacksonville, OR 97530 Nonprofit Org US Postage PAID Permit #125 Medford OR ECRWSSEDDM Local Postal Customer SUMMER 2017 Volume 10, No. 2 Serving Jackson and Josephine Counties — Circulation: 11,000 Applegate Valley Community Newsmagazine Celebrating Years ~24~ See RAT RACE, page 3 Another March, another drive over the Siskiyous and Sierras down to Reno for the annual WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) Conference. This year our Applegate Fire District's new office manager, Tallie Jackson, joined me for the trip. Reno is a good, well-rounded conference for her to learn more about the WUI and the wildfire Think embers and continuous fuels BY SANDY SHAFFER issues that we all face here in the Applegate. I've attended this conference the past dozen or so years and looked forward to seeing some old friends, learning new concepts, and hearing how the coming summer wildfire season was sizing up. e wet winter was definitely discussed. Not much new science-wise, but there was a lot Each June I get a quick glimpse of the paragliding event called Rat Race - Sprint Paragliding Competition and Super Clinic as I drive past Woodrat Mountain on Highway 238. How many paragliders can cluster suspended in midair? Who can stay afloat the longest? Who can spot the target on land first and race to retrieve it? Does the first one down have to pay for a round of wine? Regardless, they are probably enjoying themselves while I'm attempting to drive responsibly while (not) heeding the posted warning signs not to look up. e 2017 Rat Race competition runs from June 18 through 24. Practice day is June 17. For those of you who want to enjoy the paragliding event with your feet on the ground and your eyes safely following the action in the sky, the event coordinators recommend visiting Fiasco, Longsword, or Red Lily wineries. ey all have ample parking and viewing spots. "Longsword is probably the best seat in the house," claims paraglider Norm Young. "It has plenty of of talk about both the safety of firefighters and the motivation of WUI residents to make their homes firesafe. However, the recent retirement of someone I've admired and learned from for many years came as a surprise. Jack D. Cohen, PhD, had been the US Forest Service's post-fire investigator and WUI mitigation specialist for decades. Dr. Cohen was honored in Reno by receiving the 2017 Wildfire Mitigation Legacy Award— the first time anyone has received this honor. In past Applegater articles I've discussed the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) course I took from Dr. Cohen. I've used his photos to help explain the HIZ, I've discussed how to define your particular HIZ, I've q u o t e d D r. C o h e n o n "discontinuous fuels," I've called him "the HIZ guru," and I've shared his work with you, my Applegate neighbors. When I looked up those old articles on the HIZ, how it differs from "defensible space," and why homes burn in wildfires, I found that it's been over ten years since I wrote them! Time sure does fly (or maybe I'm just getting old?)! But, considering how This home ignited due to fine fuels around it during the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire in Colorado. See THINK EMBERS, page 24 Paragliders to add color to the sky soon! BY DAVID DOBBS Rat Race paragliding competitors will add color to the sky and a temptation for you to look up while driving (don't do it). Photo: Julie Gever, flickr.com. B E N E F I T F O R Applegater NEWSMAGAZINE Family BBQ! LIVE MUSIC "STILL LOOKING" BAND JULY 23 2-6 PM fishing booth • CORNHOLE GAME APPLEGATE RIVER LODGE 15100 HIGHWAY 238 APPLEGATE APPLEGATER.ORG evENTBRite.com RUCH COUNTRY STORE SUNDAY FOOD & BEVERAGES BBQ Chicken Cowboy Beans Green Salad and Bread Complimentary Lemonade Wine and Hard Cider available for purchase SILENT AUCTION Art Wine and Food Spa Treatments and more RAFFLE PRIZE *KIDS 5 & under ARE FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE JUNE 15 • PURCHASE BY JULY 16 • NO TICKETS AT DOOR TICKETS LOCATION KIDS $5 6 - 12* ADULTS $15 / 2 FOR $25

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