Oregon is going to have to make different choices if it is going to reduce the danger of wildfire.

Homes near forest or rangeland? The priority should be firebreaks. They should have fine mesh over their vents where floating embers can get sucked in. They need roofs and siding resistant to flame.

The wildfires are going to come. They are part of this region’s history — human-made and lightning made. And because of climate change it’s going to get worse.

We won’t save every property or even more tragically every life. But we can save more.

The Bootleg Fire south of here was caused by lightning. It burned more than 400,000 acres. That would be like fire over half of Rhode Island. It was at 98% containment when we checked Friday morning.

When the fire was racing along, it essentially went around the Sycan Marsh Preserve. That’s a property held by the Nature Conservancy.

That is not so much a mystery. The preserve is wetter. Fire doesn’t like wet. It’s a wetland, soaking up the spring runoff and gradually letting it flow into the Sycan River.

The land managers there have not been taking chances, though. They did prescribed burns on the property. That reduced fuels. And gave the preserve the better chance at dodging a fire.

If your home or property skirts the edge of a forest or wildlands, give it that same better chance. Bark dust, mulch or whatever you call it can make lovely groundcover.

They aren’t the best choice to make life difficult for wildfire. Don’t give it a foothold in your neighborhood.

Look at your land like a fire would and then make it so a fire has no easy place to go.