Witness & Wildfire
The focus for our August 3rd Climate Cafe Multifaith was Wildfire. The presentation (video follows) included photos and video from the Almeda Fire in Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix, Oregon, in September, 2020. The presentation also includes information about climate fire behaviors, the climate-changed forest, forest management, and, vitally, what can churches and faith communities do to support a community when fire strikes, as well as how can we better learn and prepare to mitigate risk. Also see our Wildfire One-Sheet and visit our one sheet repository.
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree:
they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. ”
One thing to note is that in the US, fires in the west have taken up almost all the national conversation about forests and fire. But the reality is that forests across the United States are stressed. Climate change means seasons are shifting, and along with the seasons, heat and water cycles are also changing. This is true from New Hampshire to Oklahoma to California. Across the US, climate change means stressed ecosystems and stressed forests.
There is a tremendous amount faith communities can do to support communities that might be impacted by fire.
Faith communities can help prepare & be prepared:
invite fire officials to teach adaptation and preparedness not just to the congregation, but as a community event.
Advocate to ensure those experiencing homelessness, shut ins, outdoor laborers, or other vulnerable people can find support for evacuations and shelter from heat and/or smoke.
Learn about fire-fighting resources, should a wild lands fire break out near you, do emergency responders have the equipment they need? Congregations can ask about these things and advocate for them at city council meetings and with county commissioners.
Is there an alert system that will get information out effectively and quickly. Help spread the word about this system and ensure members of your congregation are signed up.
Have emergency items on hand in case your building can be used as an emergency site for shelter, supplies, or information.
Remember the pets! Evacuees will need shelter for their pets, and also food, water, clean bedding. People are so very attached to their pets, and knowing their pet is okay is really helpful to calm anxiety and add security.
Farm animals also may need evacuation, or farmers may need support to protect barns and out building. It is best if your community talks about this far in advance, as those who ranch and farm will need to rely on networks to support them in a time of fire. Churches and faith groups can provide a place for such emergency planning, as well as support efforts if there is a need to evacuate.
Electricity & power. Have power strips ready for charging phones and other communications devices. Install solar panels and batteries. Or, in some way be ready to ‘go off grid’ if you are in an area where the electricity might go out in a fire. Installing solar + batteries on your property will ensure there will be power for refrigeration, shelter temperature regulation, and emergency communications.
Food and water—Have bottled water on hand, Ensure there is room in the fridge to keep medicines cool, organized and labeled. Have emergency food on hand that requires no water or other kind of preparation.
Water & hygiene. Consider installing a shower in one of the bathrooms in the building. This could be used in an emergency by fire fighters or evacuees.
Be prepared to give of yourselves. Serve as volunteers at the evacuation site. Offer to give rides to evacuees, especially those who may have lost their homes.
A burnt out home in Talent, Oregon, six months after the Almeda Fire. All hazardous materials have been removed, and this former home is now awaiting rebuilding. A plant grows is what was once a small garden in the side yard of this home.
If Fire Breaks Out
You will have done your preparation and you will be ready! Or—if not, you can get organized right then and there.
Set up a place where donations can be dropped off, then coordinate donated items. Check with first responders and local organizations and get the word out about what specifically is needed at donation sites.
Call your congregation members to see if they are okay. Encourage them to call their friends, family and neighbors to ensure people can evacuate or shelter safely.
Provide bathrooms and shelter to those fleeing the fire or fighting it. Coordinate with the local emergency services so you can provide excellent information to those who come to you for assistance.
Ask about pets, find out where pets are being sheltered. Coordinate with your community emergency services to offer support for food and medicine for pets, but also volunteer to offer care and comfort to the folks worried for their pets, or for staffing evacuation centers for pets.
Raise funds.
Help fill out paperwork. There is short term crisis paperwork and long term FEMA paperwork. You can organize a team to help with both. Especially if you have bilingual members, this can be a tremendous help.
And listen, listen, listen. A kind heart is the most important thing of all. In a fire, during and after the emergency the community will experience trauma and fatigue. Opening your doors to provide a place of sanctuary where people can be heard and tell their story will offer tremendous healing.
The fire burns hot as it rushes along the greenway and Bear Creek in Talent, Oregon, during the Almeda Fire. Evacuees crowded the street next to this property in the photograph, traveling Talent Avenue in downtown Talent, as the fire pushed north through the town toward Phoenix, Oregon, next door.
Educate. This is key preparation.
There are two essential paths for education for people of faith.
The first is to educate about the moral obligations toward neighbors and the earth. Spend time with sacred texts, in prayer and in worship, reading, listening, and celebrating the sacred earth and all that is in it. It is made by God’s own hand. Challenge the people of faith in your community to recognize that the role of ‘keeper and caretaker’ of the earth is an earnest and diligent responsibility as well as a sacred one.
The second essential path is to educate people about climate change. Faith communities have classrooms, sanctuaries, and gathering halls—all these places can be used to invite the community to come and learn about climate change, the impacts, and the necessary adaptation for your community. By gaining the necessary education, people of faith can ensure they are ready to make the best decisions possible to adapt and flourish in changing times.
Rev. Richenda Fairhurst is here for the friendship and conversations about climate, community, and connection. She organizes the Climate Cafe Multifaith as a co-leader of Faiths4Future. Find her in real life in Southern Oregon, working as Steward of Climate with the nonprofit Circle Faith Future.