One survey led by researchers at Southern Oregon University, Oregon State, and University of Oregon
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
Researchers are using two surveys to gather input from residents of Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix in an effort to better prepare for wildfires, according to a City of Ashland news release.
The surveys are intended to help with evacuations and making cities more resistant to flames, said Ashland Fire & Rescue Wildfire Division Chief Chris Chambers.
The Household Response to Wildfire Citizen Survey is being conducted by Boise State University and the Hazard & Climate Resilience Institute (HCRI), with support from the cities of Ashland and Talent. The Asset Management Survey is led by researchers at Southern Oregon University, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, the release said.
“The OSU survey will help inform our work to harden landscapes and buildings against fire by identifying, from the community’s perspective, what makes Ashland special to them. It gets at the core of values and how people live to then translate that into priorities,” Chambers said.
The data will weigh the defense of homes with other community structures and institutions that also need protection and serve thousands at multiple income levels, such as the YMCA, Chambers said. These kinds of institutions are part of the fabric of a community and may be harder to rebuild than an individual home, he added.
“The Boise study will inform an evacuation study that will give us realistic scenarios, given people’s responses to the surveys, taken along with a traffic model and a realistic wildfire scenario,” Chambers said. “A complex evacuation involves people’s behavior as much as the streets and the fire itself, so the survey fills that gap.”
The Household Response to Wildfire Citizen Survey can be taken online and is estimated to take 15 to 20 minutes, according to the release. Participation is confidential and open to anyone 18 or older. Results will be published in late fall 2025 to benefit communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The Asset Management Survey can be taken online in English or Spanish and takes approximately 10 minutes, the release said. The survey is open to anyone 13 or older who lives or works in Ashland, Phoenix, Talent or nearby rural areas. Participants may also enter a drawing for a $50 gift card with one winner per 25 entries.
Those with questions about the Household Response to Wildfire Citizen Survey can contact Dr. Ashley Bosa at 720-737-8128 or email ashleybosa@boisestate.edu. For questions about your rights as a research participant, contact the Boise State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. MST, Monday through Friday, by phone at 208-426-5401 or by emailing humansubjects@boisestate.edu.
For questions about the Asset Management Survey, contact Dr. Jenna Tilt at tiltj@oregonstate.edu. For questions about your rights as a survey participant, contact the Oregon State University Institutional Review Board at irb@oregonstate.edu, according to the release.
The deadline to complete the Household Response to Wildfire Citizen Survey deadline is May 30, and the Asset Management Survey deadline is June 15, Chambers said.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.
