Dorena Lake, Row River Area
Dorena, Oregon

Our Partners:
Thank you, Roundhouse Foundation!
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Thank You Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund
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Thank you Cottage Grove Community Foundation
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We are Grateful to the Siletz Tribal Charitable Fund
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Grateful Thanks to the Cow Creek Foundation
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A Heartfelt Thank You to the Woodard Foundation

Did You Know?

The Row River Fire Response, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was originally established to help the communities of Dorena, Culp Creek, and Disston secure a fire district. With the successful formation of the Row River Rural Fire Protection District, we recognized the need to adjust our name to prevent confusion with the newly established district. To better reflect our expanded, community-driven mission, we adopted a new DBA that encompasses our broader efforts to enhance well-being and quality of life in the Row River Valley. While we continue to play a vital role in supporting the fire district—through fundraising, event planning, and wildfire mitigation—we also remain dedicated to strengthening our community as a whole.

The Row River Valley, located in Lane County, Oregon, is an unincorporated and densely forested region classified as a high-risk wildland-urban interface (WUI). This geographic designation highlights the vulnerability of the area to wildfire threats. The valley’s single point of ingress and egress underscores the urgent need for well-equipped emergency services to ensure the safety of its residents and visitors. Furthermore, the Row River, a vital tributary of the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed, supports the drinking water supply for Cottage Grove and contributes to the broader Willamette Watershed, which serves major cities such as Portland, Salem, Corvallis, and Eugene.

Dorena, situated in the heart of this WUI, faces significant risk and responsibility in safeguarding its community and surrounding natural resources. The importance of robust emergency services becomes even more evident given the residents and number of visitors who enjoy our natural resources:

  • The Row River area is home to approximately 1,200 residents and 500 homes.
  • The Row River Trail attracts over 250,000 annual visitors
  • The Umpqua National Forest sees approximately 735,000 recreational visitors annually, many traveling through the Disston area.
  • The Dorena Christian Camp hosts 7,000 children each year, highlighting the need for swift emergency and hazard response capabilities.

In May 2024, residents of Disston, Culp Creek, and Dorena decisively voted to establish the Row River Rural Fire Protection District through a dedicated property tax to fund Fire and EMS operations.

A Dorena resident has donated a central location, situated between our two schools (Dorena School and Child’s Way School.), and near the largest populated area. This parcel is vacant agricultural land located next to the Row River Christian Fellowship Church.

Weyerhaeuser has donated an upriver parcel in Disston to serve as the location of our remote fire hall adjacent to the Umpqua National Forest. This parcel is located at the corner of Row River Road and Layng Creek Road.

A Rat Creek resident have leased a building as a fire hall to serve the area north of Dorena Lake.

The Row River Community Partnership (Row River Fire Response) organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is spearheading a vital construction project to establish critical emergency facilities for the Row River community. Located within Lane County, Oregon, this project addresses the urgent need for enhanced fire protection and emergency response services in a high-risk wildland-urban interface (WUI). With a single ingress and egress for its residents and visitors, the Row River area is uniquely vulnerable to emergencies, including wildfires, natural disasters, and other critical incidents.

Our primary objective is to promote initiatives that enhance long-term resilience within the community. To achieve this, we organize informational events and meetings for community members and engage in educational activities with students at Dorena School. Currently, we are collaborating with the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) on a Fuel Reduction Campaign, which offers defensible space grants to high-risk residential properties in the Row River Valley. This defensible space fuel reduction initiative focuses on the clearance and removal of flammable materials within a 30-foot perimeter around residential structures, serving as a crucial wildfire mitigation strategy.

If you are a Row River Valley resident interested in a Defensible Space Assessment for your home, please contact Karen at: programs@rowrivervalley.org

To learn more or to get involved, please contact: info@rowrivervalley.org

Thank you

Congratulations to the Row River Community for voting in the special rural fire protection district!

Before May 2024, the Row River Fire Response, a non-profit 501(c)(3), took on the mantle of the interim firefighting organization. Now that the Row River Rural Fire Protection District (RRRFPD) has been formed, we can more fully focus to the enhancement, well-being, and quality of life for the citizens of the Row River Valley.

Row River Valley Community Partnership

To visit the new Fire District Website, click on the button below:

Community

Volunteer organization for and by the Row River Community in Disston, Culp Creek, and Dorena.

Safety

Safe community through prevention, preparedness, and effective emergency response.

Resiliency

United, our community grows stronger, facing challenges with strength and determination.