Think Out Loud

Oregon conservationist on steps to prevent community loss during wildfire season

By Malya Fass (OPB)
Sept. 16, 2026 1 p.m.

Broadcast: Wednesday, Sept. 16

Ralph Bloemers has spent over two decades working in and around wildfire science and technology. He’s used documentary filmmaking to probe and document wildfires, and he contends that while wildfires are inevitable in Oregon, catastrophic community loss doesn’t have to be.

Bloemers makes a case for wildfire-readiness techniques homeowners can use to reduce the risk of community conflagration or urban wildfire, like what Spokane communities endured earlier this summer.

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We’ll speak to Bloemers about his recommendations for how homeowners can assist firefighters through wildfire readiness techniques and how his work documenting wildfires has informed his perspective on wildfire management.

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