In a posting three days ago, Steve Greenwood, Curator at the Wells Fargo History Exhibit in Portland, recounted the major damage done by a huge forest fire a century ago. Today, in Part 2, Steve offers tips on protecting your home from fire. If you have any first-hand accounts of your experiences with fires in recent years, we invite you to write them here. (CR)
Part Two
Yacolt is a Klickitat 
word meaning "place abounding in evil spirits" or "haunted valley." One tale relates that five children, lost while picking berries, were taken by Yacolt, a demonic entity. From September 11 to 13, 1902, a demon was certainly at work in the area. The Yacolt Burn caused profound damage to forest, homes and farms.
A century later, Pacific Northwest fires in 2002 surpassed the summer of 1902 as the 
worst fire year on record (see pix here ). About a million acres in Oregon and Washington burned.
Many Pacific Northwest towns—Battle Ground, Bend, and Chelan—are within a stone’s throw of the forest and potential fires.
If you live near high-fire risk areas, here are a few tips to help protect your home:
- Have a fire-resistant roof and exterior.
- Keep access roads free of vegetation.
- Keep firewood and flammable objects away from your home.
- Prune trees and remove ground fuels.
- Keep your gutters clean.
your homeowner’s insurance to see what coverage you have in the event of fire or other catastrophe. 'Tis the season .
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