By Mary Kyle McCurdy (text) and Sarah Yeoman (video) | 1-minute read, 4-minute watch
Throughout our Wildfire Wednesday series, we have explored the various actions that individual Oregonians and communities can take to be more wildfire prepared and to reduce the risk of wildfire occurring in their own community. Today, you get to see a concrete example taking place in Central Oregon.
In 2025, Sisters adopted a new city-wide development code aimed at protecting homes from being destroyed by wildfires. It requires vegetation-free space around homes, prohibits flammable vegetation within 30 feet, requires non-flammable fencing, and restricts tree branches near structures. Sisters has also adopted the state's voluntary wildfire-resistant building code for new buildings.
In this video, Sisters Mayor Jennifer Letz, a former wildland fire fighter, describes how the community came together to put these forward-looking measures into place.
We hope communities across the state will take similar actions—adapted to their location and conditions—to advance wildfire safety and resilience.
Wildfire Wednesday is a weekly storytelling project that aims to increase wildfire resilience across Oregon.
See all Wildfire Wednesday content here