JACKSONVILLE, Ore. – As wildfires continue to threaten communities nationwide, Jacksonville is emerging as a leader in wildfire preparedness.

With 40 Firewise USA sites, the town of 3,000 residents plays a key role in Jackson County, ranking fourth in the nation for the most Firewise communities.

Linda Davis, Jacksonville’s Firewise coordinator, has been instrumental in the town’s success. Under her leadership, the number of Firewise neighborhoods has grown from eight to 40 in just five years.

“It’s about two-thirds of the people who live here who reside in Firewise neighborhoods, which we are really, really proud of,” said Davis. “We’re still working to get more people in neighborhoods.”

This growth comes after the 2020 Almeda Fire, which devastated the area. The fire highlighted the importance of taking proactive measures to protect homes and neighborhoods. “You often see neighborhoods where you have one home standing and everything else burned down. And that’s because that one home established home hardening and defensible techniques that are recommended by Firewise,” Davis explained.

The success of Jacksonville’s Firewise program is due in part to strong collaboration with local leadership. “It needs to be a cooperative venture,” said Davis. “You need to work with the city, of course, because they have public works. They have people. There’s a lot of city property within Jacksonville.”

As Oregon continues to rank among the top states for Firewise USA sites, Jacksonville hopes to serve as a model for other communities, proving that through collaboration and hard work, towns can build the resilience needed to survive future wildfires.

For more information on how to become a Firewise USA community, visit the Firewise USA website .

Samantha Kadera is an anchor/reporter at NewsWatch 12. You can reach her at .