The Highland Fire is not completely extinguished at the time of this writing, but it is largely contained, and evacuation levels have been reduced.

Close call? Maybe. Some commenters on the Central Oregonian Facebook page say that Juniper Canyon dodged a bullet. This could have been much worse. But instead, community members, local leaders and emergency management officials have a cautionary tale that doesn’t include thousands of acres of scorched earth, or worse lost homes, or at worst, lost lives. Not all brush fires wind-driven on a hot day toward homes and residences end this well.

There’s a lot that went right, none of which was due to luck alone. First, firefighters jumped on this thing quickly, and a quick assessment of resources resulted in a decisive call for outside resources who were ready to help thanks to partnerships forged throughout the state. Within an hour, rigs from throughout Central Oregon agencies were on scene and air tankers were hitting the blaze from above. By nightfall, resources from as far away as Portland had arrived to help.

Meanwhile, Crook County law enforcement ensured that people were kept out of harm’s way, issuing evacuation orders and communicating to residents through a host of channels from Facebook to websites. Updates came frequently.

The residents deserve some kudos as well. Creating defensible space – trimming grasses, shrubs and other fire fuels near a house – is preached often to residents in rural areas where wildfires can threaten structures. Thanks to people following those recommendations, the fire didn’t have as much fuel to reach homes.

While a lot went right when the Highland Fire struck, the quick spread of the blaze and the need for immediate evacuations demonstrate room for improvement. Currently, there is just one entrance into and exit from Juniper Canyon, which could hamper evacuation efforts depending on the location of a fire and how many people need to flee the area. 

Crook County officials are already pursuing a secondary access road for the area, but they need enough money and access to the land to build it. This fire should demonstrate to potential funders and landowners how important it is to work with the county to move the project forward as quickly as possible.

And finally, the Highland Fire and so many others during the past few years show how critical it is that people follow all fire safety recommendations and laws. While the cause of the fire is not officially determined at this point, officials believe it was human caused. In other words, this was preventable.

Everyone should applaud and embrace what worked and what went right when the Highland Fire struck, but they should also apply what it taught us about how to improve. Maybe Crook County can dodge more bullets in the future – or avoid the need to dodge them in the first place.