On Dec. 17, The Astorian ran an editorial that invites readers âto come with us on a virtual road tripâ which purports to illustrate that the tragic fires that damaged towns throughout Oregon in 2020 could have been prevented by extensive backcountry logging in remote areas of national forests.
While I appreciate the invitation, I donât need to take a âvirtual road tripâ to know firsthand about the impacts of the 2020 fire season on my neighbors and community. This past summer my family took a very real emergency road trip out of Talent while fleeing the Almeda fire as it ripped through the Rogue Valley.