Five years after the Labor Day fires leveled thousands of Oregon homes, a key lesson has emerged: hardening homes is critical to managing risk in wildfire country.

Why it matters: Wildfires can't always be stopped, but the extent of their destruction can be blunted.

Catch up quick: Powerful east winds swept into western Oregon on Labor Day 2020, fanning existing fires into infernos and sparking new ones up and down the state.

• At least 11 people were killed, and nearly a million acres were scorched.
• Some 4,000 homes were destroyed — from the southern Oregon towns of Talent and Phoenix to whole communities in the Santiam Canyon.

Zoom in: New construction can incorporate fire-resistant design with relatively little added cost, and retrofits are far cheaper than rebuilding after a fire, said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute.

• "It's not a matter of preventing wildfires, especially when we have high winds," she said. "It's a matter of trying to harden structures and prevent loss of life and property."

How it works: Some of the most effective ways to protect homes include creating defensible space around structures, using fire-resistant materials for roofs and siding, and installing screens on vents to prevent embers from entering homes.

• Experts pointed to Firewise, a program run by the National Fire Protection Association, as a resource for property owners looking to safeguard their homes.

Threat level: Though Oregon has avoided destruction of that magnitude in the five years since 2020, it's not a bullet we can dodge forever, said John Bailey, a professor of wildfire management at Oregon State University.

• The convergence of increased development in wild spaces, a warming climate and fire-prone forests means it's not a matter of if, but when, Bailey said.
• "It's all just probabilities, and as each of those probabilities go up and intersect with each other, that's why we have more and more fire each year," he told reporters Tuesday.

Keep reading

We're gathering stories from Portlanders about how the Labor Day fires of 2020 impacted them — what you remember most, how the fires (and smoke) shaped your daily life back then and what lasting impact they've had.

• Hit reply or send us an email to share your thoughts.
• We may feature your response in an upcoming story.

🚗 The city of Portland went against its own internal guidance when it hiked parking meter rates and extended enforcement hours earlier this summer, with transportation officials saying they did so due to "severe budget constraints." (The Oregonian)

Health officials are investigating two deaths — one in Multnomah County and one in Clackamas — as potentially heat related after the region sweltered under an extended heat wave. (KGW)

🎤 A new short documentary explores the history of hip-hop in Portland and why the genre didn't gain as much of a foothold here as it did in the rest of the country. (OPB)

📚 The first day of school was postponed to Sep. 2 in Vancouver's Evergreen School District after teachers called a strike due to stalled labor negotiations. (KOIN)

The hottest pop-up this summer has to be Machetes, a Mexico City-style street food restaurant serving giant quesadillas filled with gooey goodness.

Catch up quick: Husband-wife duo Diego and McKenna Palacios — industry vets who've worked at OK Omens and Gado Gado — started slinging their signature dish two years ago and have been selling out ever since.

• Their most recent pop-up with Mexican seafood restaurant Mariscos Con Onda had a two-hour wait.

Best bites: Each machete is made with tri-color corn masa (giving it a tie-dye effect), packed with marinated meats (or veggies), flame grilled, then served with zanahorias en escabeche, salsa and crema.

• Fillings vary from 30-day dry-aged steak, octopus, cactus, squash blossoms and chipotle-tomato braised chicken — plus diners can pack their order with up to four.

My thought bubble: You may think you can't finish a whole one, but trust me, you can.

If you go: Machetes next pop-up is Monday with Lupine at Company.

• The pair is also serving a five-course tasting menu at Cafe Rowan on Sept. 27.

Joby the dog is getting his Bark-elor of Science in Squirrel Studies at Portland Community College's Cascade campus — that's where he was hanging out in this week's challenge.

Flashback: The site was formerly home to a Christian bible institution and liberal arts school called Cascade College from 1918 to 1969.

• PCC took over just a year later with 400 students enrolled. During its first year, it served as a literacy tutoring center for many displaced Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees.
• The campus now serves roughly 17,300 students.

Zoom in: Jefferson High School, the North Portland Library, Peninsula Park and the historic Albina jazz district are all within walking distance — making the campus a hub for creativity, intellect and leisure.

👏 Congrats to readers Michael K., Hannah G. and Lizzie D. for knowing their stuff.

Until next time ...