As Wildfire Awareness Month ends, state fire marshal celebrates one-year partnership anniversary with IBHS

As Wildfire Awareness Month comes to a close, the Oregon State Fire Marshal is urging all Oregonians to carry this momentum into the summer wildfire season by taking proactive steps to protect their homes and communities.

“Wildfire risk doesn’t end in May; preparedness is a year‑round commitment,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “We’re working closely with communities and partners to help Oregonians become more resilient.”

This May also marks one year since the Oregon State Fire Marshal partnered with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) to increase wildfire resilience across the state. A memorandum of understanding, signed on May 2, 2025, continues to guide joint efforts to bring cutting‑edge wildfire research and practical tools directly to Oregon communities.

Over the past year, the Oregon State Fire Marshal and IBHS have worked closely to integrate wildfire research, expand training, and support local preparedness initiatives.

• The Oregon State Fire Marshal is working in collaboration to harness the power of IBHS research to inform its grant programs, investments, and information to get Oregonians better prepared for wildfire.

• In June 2025, the OSFM and IBHS held a live demonstration burn in Salem to show how defensible space and home hardening can dramatically increase a home’s chances of surviving a wildfire.

• In May 2026, the state fire marshal launched an educational campaign focused on the first five feet around a home. This campaign is guided by IBHS research.
• IBHS research about the immediate 0–5-foot zone is incorporated in Oregon’s new model defensible space code, available for local adoption.

• IBHS continues to serve as a peer reviewer for agency training programs, including the CORE program, a training for community partners to use the best available science to increase wildfire resilience at the neighborhood level.
• Several workshops, preparedness events, field tours, and other events have been hosted through the partnership to ensure every Oregonian knows about the importance of wildfire preparedness

As summer approaches, the Oregon State Fire Marshal is encouraging every Oregonian to take simple, effective actions to reduce wildfire risk, especially within the first five feet of the home.

“Our partnership with IBHS is helping us bring the best available science directly to the people we serve,” said Ruiz-Temple. “Together, we’re taking meaningful steps that make Oregon communities safer, one foot at a time.”

“The work of the Oregon State Fire Marshal and IBHS is putting the state in the best possible position to be prepared as we look ahead to future wildfire seasons,” said Oregon Insurance Commissioner TK Keen, who is also the administrator of the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR). “By integrating the best available wildfire science with Oregon-specific data, we are developing real solutions to wildfire risks that affect so many people and the cost of their insurance. Keeping insurance affordable and available is a top priority for our agencies, and this collaboration continues to help property owners and policymakers as we deal with the risks of wildfires.”

For more resources, a free defensible space assessment, and other tools, visit preventwildfires.oregon.gov.