HOOD RIVER — Mt. Adams Institute presents a Sense of Place lecture, “Wildfire in the Gorge — the Good, the Bad, and Lessons from Eagle Creek,” on Jan. 11 at the Columbia Center for the Arts and via livestream for those unable to attend in person. Doors open 6:30 p.m., and the presentation begins 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at sense-of-place-13.eventbrite.com.
A Q&A will be included and moderated by Sarah Fox, Sense of Place host and curator.
Jessica Hudec
Brian Harvey
Loretta Duke
“Whether you were in the Gorge on Sept. 2, 2017, or you were miles away, you likely recall how the Eagle Creek fire affected your daily life and our community,” said a Mt. Adam’s Institute press release. “The event, which burned almost 50,000 acres, forever changed the landscape and raised awareness about the increasing risk of wildfire — to our ecosystem, our health, our economy, and our recreational activities.”
Featured speakers are three experts on lessons from the Eagle Creek Fire. Jessica Hudec of the U.S. Forest Service will present on the good and bad of wildfire. Loretta Duke of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest will share stories from her role as the Initial Attack Incident Commander during the first days of the Eagle Creek fire. And Brian Harvey, a professor at the University of Washington, will share the latest research on what’s being discovered at Eagle Creek five years later.
“In recent decades, the frequency of large wildfires has increased, and new maximums for the scale, speed, and severity of wildfires have been set,” said the press release. “Still, the occurrence of wildfire is more nuanced than most news headlines would have us believe. Fire is an important part of maintaining healthy, diverse ecosystems. Wildfires release valuable nutrients into the soil, initiate re-birth, and provide habitat for fire-dependent plant and animal species.
“The Eagle Creek fire was the largest fire the Gorge has seen in the past century,” continued the press release. “Smoke filled the air as forests burned, residents were evacuated, highways closed, and businesses shut down. Five years later, what can we learn from this historic event? How has it affected our local landscapes, communities, and fire management practices? And as wildfire becomes increasingly common in the Gorge, how can we better understand its costs and benefits, as well as, how to coexist with this incredible force?”
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