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WILDFIRE PREVENTION Oregon Department of Forestry spokesman earns 'Bronze Smokey' Brian Ballou hailed as "innovative" in public outreach efforts Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 12, 2015 at 10:22 AM Updated Jun 12, 2015 at 11:57 AM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 12, 2015 at 10:22 AM Updated Jun 12, 2015 at 11:57 AM » Social News The man much of Southern Oregon relies on for updates about wildfires burning across the region each summer has received a prestigious award from the U.S. Forest Service for his efforts to educate the public about wildfire prevention. Brian Ballou, Oregon Department of Forestry spokesman for the southwest district, has received the Bronze Smokey Award, described on the USFS website as " the highest honor given to organizations or individuals for outstanding wildfire prevention service over at least a two-year period that has impact within a state." "I'm still kind of recovering from the shock," Ballou says. "It is quite an honor. Very few people receive those." ODF forester Dan Thorpe says the honor stems from Ballou's "innovative" approach to informing people about fires. In a news release, Thorpe says Ballou created a blog, www.swofire.com , to give daily updates on wildfire activity around the region. "During the record 2013 and 2014 seasons, the blog exceeded 25,000 hits per day," the release says. In addition, Ballou utilizes Twitter to put out breaking updates on new fires, does home visits to help people evaluate and reduce wildfire risk, and has published educational brochures about wildfire preparedness and risk management. Ballou says his approach is to keep it simple. "I do try to explain things in plain language about what people need to do to protect themselves and their homes against wildfire," he says, adding he tries to remove the inside-baseball terminology "and pretend like I'm talking to my neighbor." Ballou is a University of Oregon graduate and has a background in journalism. He has worked for newspapers and has sold several fishing stories to magazines. He was also the editor of Wildland Firefighter magazine. He began work at ODF's public affairs office in Salem in 1990, then left in 1997 to work for Wildland Firefighter before returning to the agency in 2001 when the magazine was sold. He transferred to the Medford office in 2004. Ballou says he stays busy, especially during the fire-pocked summer months, but he enjoys the work. He adds that his fellow foresters also deserve recognition for their ongoing work in fire protection. "This is not a job I could do alone," he says. "Their efforts are reflected in this award, as well." Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Jun. 12, 2015 at 10:22 AM Updated Jun 12, 2015 at 11:57 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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