They chose fire-resistant materials such as a concrete roof and stone siding, even a brick deck. They installed huge water tanks and cleared the area immediately around the home of vegetation. And they obtained fire insurance, knowing ultimately that evacuation in the face of an approaching large fire is the most prudent course. The Epsteins are within the outer limits of Jackson County Fire District No. 5, which covers some 15,000 rural homes outside the incorporated communities of Ashland, Talent and Phoenix. There is no pressurized water system for fighting fires, forcing firefighters to battle the blaze with limited water.
Access is frequently a problem.
And there is normally a delayed response time because of the distance firefighters need to cover to get to the fire. If the fire really gets going in the heavier brush and trees, it s real hard to stop. Like many rural fire districts, Fire District No. 5 has a policy that, unless it is responding to a mutual aid agreement or a Conflagration Act declared by the governor, it will only respond to structure fires within the district. They are our customers. Today, anyone building a home beyond fire district boundaries in Jackson County is required by law to request annexation into the nearest fire district.