As reports of drought conditions persist across much of the western United States, the trauma of last year's wildfire season remains fresh on the minds of Oregonians.
Perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than in Clackamas County, where residents both rural and urban understand how the course of a fire and evacuation levels can change in a moment's notice, threatening personal safety, property and way of life.
Clackamas County is somewhat of a perfect microcosm for the larger state of Oregon. It's a place where urban, rural and wildland are equally abundant, as are the people and ideas that have played out in Oregon's political landscape over the fight to protect both the forests and the rights of those whose livelihoods depend on their rich natural resources.
But as Clackamas County and the state of Oregon begin preparing for what could be another historic wildfire season, the men and women who stand on the front lines of these destructive events are preaching a message of individual and community preparedness.