Lessons learned from the Almeda Fire

Jun 28, 2025 | Wildfire

Lessons Learned from the Almeda Fire by Kelly Burns

By Kelly Burns – City of Ashland’s Emergency Management Coordinator, Ashland Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness in a Wildfire-Prone Urban Setting

The day of the Almeda Fire on September 8, 2020, Kelly Burns was the Battalion Chief of C-shift for Ashland Fire & Rescue, on duty with a small crew of eight. During the 36-hour-long disaster, he helped lead the fire response. Burns, who now serves as Ashland’s Emergency Management Coordinator, shares his experience and what we learned from this event.

I remember the moment, 30 minutes into the Almeda Fire: I had established a forward command post in an area near South Valley View and Highway 99. Based on what I knew, if we could draw a line and stop the fire along South Valley View, we would have a chance. Then, through my radio, I heard my dispatcher telling me there were reports of structures on fire in Talent. The fire had already jumped three miles past us.

I immediately ordered my Medford Battalion Chief and three other available fire engines to get to that Talent neighborhood as fast as they could to protect lives and structures. The winds would drive spot fires further and faster than we could respond. We were outmatched.

Starting in northwest Ashland and whipped by wind gusts more than 40 miles per hour, the Almeda Fire consumed anything in its path with terrifying speed, devastating our neighboring cities of Talent and Phoenix. It left behind a changed landscape—not just physically, but emotionally, culturally, and operationally.

Meanwhile, our residents experienced traffic congestion, confusion about evacuation routes and orders, a failure of informational systems, failure of infrastructure (electric, water, communications), spot fires igniting far ahead of the main fire, overwhelm, and panic. Many people received no advance notice. Many lost everything. To this day, I think all of us who survived the Almeda Fire carry a fearful anticipation of the next big fire event. At the responder level, we saw some of our best efforts fail, including water supplies to our fire hydrants. One no sooner had extinguished a spot-fire on a neighborhood home when three others around it burst into flames.

What we experienced during those 36 hours and the weeks that followed continues to influence the direction of emergency response, management, and preparedness in our valley. Here’s how.

1. Communication Systems Must Be Accessible
We learned that relying on a single notification platform is dangerous. Today, Ashland uses a layered approach: Jackson County’s “Jackson Alerts” system, the City of Ashland web pages for press releases, the City of Ashland social media accounts, emergency radio station (1700 AM), and Ashland’s Wildfire Hotline 541-552-2490. We also emphasize low-tech communication, including door-to-door notifications by law enforcement and emergency services. The City of Ashland also established a full-time dedicated Emergency Manager position to handle the coordination and communications needed at all levels of our city and our region—that’s me.

2. Evacuation Planning Must Be Specific and Practiced
Since 2020, Ashland has overhauled its evacuation planning. In 2021, we mapped clear evacuation zones. These are updated regularly and accessible online. In 2024, in cooperation with Jackson County, evacuation zones were built throughout Jackson County. Finally, we launched multiple community education campaigns encouraging residents to know their zone, plan multiple routes, and get better connected with their community, because when the next big event happens, we all need each other.

3. Community Preparedness Begins at Home, Don’t Wait for 911
In 2020, many residents were frozen in uncertainty. Now, through education and outreach events, we continue to push the message: prepare before the fire, not during it. Preparedness needs to begin at a household and individual level, then expand out to friends and neighbors to work together, and ask for and offer support. Community members need to understand they have the responsibility to solve their evacuation and preparation issues. This includes defensible space around homes, home hardening, go-kits, and contingency planning for when the original plan isn’t working for the current situation.
The reality is that, in a major event, our limited number of emergency responders won’t be able to respond to every 911 call. It is each person’s responsibility to make their own plan, practice it, and connect with family, friends, and neighbors. Not all, but many, issues we will face in a fast-moving wildfire can be solved with planning, practice, and connecting with your community in advance.

4. Interagency Coordination Is Essential
No single agency can manage these disasters alone. Since the fire, Ashland has deepened its collaboration with Jackson County Emergency Management, regional response agencies, non-profits, and local businesses. In an effort unique to the state of Oregon, the City of Ashland, SOU, and the Ashland School District signed an intergovernmental agreement creating a Joint-Emergency Operations Center to increase coordination and communications during large events. We train and exercise together regularly with personnel from SOU, ASD, and the City to be better prepared for the next disaster.

Final Thoughts
Emergency preparedness is not just about go-bags or alerts – it’s about mindset, practice, and community. What we learned from the Almeda Fire is that we need each other; no one gets through this alone. Ashland is better prepared today because we faced one of our worst times together. We’re not done learning or preparing, but every step towards preparing together, at any level, makes us more resilient.If there are assignments I can leave you with, it’s these: know your zone, make sure you’re signed up for alerts, build and refine your go-kits, and connect with your family/friends/neighbors on your evacuation plans. The more we prepare as a community, the better chances we all have.

Recommended Tools and Resources
Here are the tools and materials I recommend for residents and businesses who want to be better prepared:

Resources:

Useful apps and social media resources:

Additional education:

Chris Chambers

Kelly Burns

Emergency Management Coordinator, Ashland Emergency Preparedness

Born in Ashland but raised in the wilds of Alaska, Kelly served Ashland Fire & Rescue for over 31 years. As the Battalion Chief of C-shift, Kelly served as the initial incident commander of the Almeda Fire. This event and many other urban conflagrations that Kelly fought throughout Oregon and California informed his career path change to Emergency Management.

In 2023, he began his new role and works constantly with all citizens and levels of government to create plans and systems to help us sustain our way of life and remain resilient in the face of increasingly unavoidable natural and man-made disasters. 

Kelly.burns@ashlandoregon.gov 541-552-2299