• Bend's Skeleton Fire, in August of 1996, was caused by lightning, burned over 17,000 acres and damaged or destroyed 30 homes and structures. For this area alone, losses reached over $7 million.
  
• During the 1996 wildfire season, 218,000 acres burned, 600 homes were threatened and 44 homes were lost statewide. The State of Oregon mobilized 696 firefighters and 38 task forces.
  
• 774 structures were destroyed by wildfire in the United States in 1996. There has been an increase in home and property loss from fire in the area known as "wildland/urban interface."
  
• The Awbrey Hall Fire, in August of 1990, destroyed 21 homes. Over 100 homes in Oregon have been lost to wildfire since 1990.
  
• Twenty-five years ago, a typical large wildfire was about 1,000 acres in size, could be brought under control in two days and involved only one fire fighting agency. Today, the average large wildfire is about 10,000 acres in size and requires one to two weeks to control with multiple agency involvement.
  
• Many forests are overly dense with stands of young trees, brush and large volumes of dead and dying trees which have greatly increased the flammability in the wildland/urban interface.
  
• More people mean more risk. As more people build homes in forest and grasslands, the risk increases not only in the forest because of people, but the homeowners' risk increases as well because of remoteness and limited services.
  
• Preventing fires from starting and reducing the potential for fire spread are focus areas for collaborative efforts in the wildland/urban interface.

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