The Jefferson Center Program Committee is pleased to invite you to our next
salon/discussion Sunday, January 9 at 4 pm on Zoom (meeting will open at 3:40 p.m.)
To Access Link to Register, Please visit https://thejeffcenter.org/salon-future-events
Here we go again! Smoke…and another fire! What should we do?
Charisse Sydoriak will lead an informational discussion on “What is it like to live in a fire-
adapted community (FAC)?” To gain a deeper appreciation of how we can live with
wildfire, she will introduce the basics of wildfire dynamics, define key terms, and identify
components of a FAC. We’ll then delve into 5 of 10 FAC components: mitigating fire
potential, engaging the community, reducing vulnerabilities at home, response strategies,
and personal safety. Charisse looks forward to hearing the group’s thoughts and ideas on
how to overcome challenges and leverage opportunities so that Southern Oregon can
become a truly fire-adapted community.
Charisse Sydoriak was a pioneer in monitoring fire effects and using fire as a
management tool, starting in Yosemite National Park in 1980. She’s
managed hundreds of prescribed natural fires, trained burn bosses, served on
several incident management teams, and was the first female regional fire
management officer in the National Park Service.
During her career, she was chief of resources management and research at
Lava Beds and Bandelier National Monuments, and at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National
Parks. For 7 years she facilitated science integration in the BLM. Charisse retired in
December 2015 after 35 years of federal service.
In April 2019, Charisse joined the Ashland Wildfire Safety Commission. After the 2020
Almeda Fire she co-founded the Ashland Volunteer Wildfire Risk Assessment Program to
educate residents and motivate wildfire risk reduction in Ashland. She is also a member of
the Medford Wildfire Mitigation Steering Committee. Charisse’s views at this event are
her own and do not represent the cities of Ashland or Medford, Oregon.
