Oregonians are from Mars and the state’s wildfire hazard map was from Venus.

There was an all-too-obvious difference between what Oregonians believed about the state’s hazard map and what policymakers and the people who developed the map hoped about the map.

And so Tuesday, the Oregon Senate took the first step to rip up the map, by passing Senate Bill 83. The bill essentially eliminates the map and wipes away the rules for property maintenance to high-hazard areas.

Legislators and some folks in state government believed the map was smart. Wildfire is an increasing threat to lives, homes and other property. It sure would be good to know where the worst of that threat is so actions can be taken to try to reduce that threat. So, they used the best analysis they had to come up with the map.

That was all true.

Except, about the same time the map came out, insurance for homes started getting more expensive or was canceled. Whether or not the wildfire map was to blame, whether or not the Legislature passed a bill to say that the map could not be used to adjust insurance rates, Oregonians thought the worst. The initial rollout of the map was botched with inadequate public comment and explanation. The actual designations on the map didn’t seem to make logical sense in some places. And if that was not enough, Oregonians were protesting en masse.

What’s regrettable is that we are not sure at all that the passage of S.B. 83 and the ripping up of the map is much to celebrate. It was the right concept and a terrible execution. The wildfire hazards are real, whether or not the map got them right. S.B. 83 could mean fewer smart things are done to reduce wildfire danger.