Floral Hill Drive, the location of the planned FLORAL HILL TERRACE and the location of this news report has been very problematic for emergency vehicle access for a long time. It is a narrow 17 feet wide unimproved road with no shoulders or sidewalks and many areas have homes with parking right on the street making it effectively a one-land road. Emergency vehicles coming into the area while residents are being evacuated out as happened with the McKenzie Fires several years ago would be a recipe for disaster.
Are We Ready?
The proposed Floral Hill Terrace site is a priority fire risk in the Wildland Urban Interface, serving up to 200 residents in high density, multiplex units along Floral Hill Drive. At a recent Town Hall meeting with Oregon Fire Marshal Travis Medema 3 recommendations were made for new development within the Wildland Urban Interface:
- Adequate water supply to fight a fast moving fire moving up the hillside during fall easterly winds, at the height of fire season. The water infrastructure on Floral Hill is as old as the road. Grossly inadequate under today’s conditions.
- Access and egress of fire personnel on Floral Hill Drive. Fire trucks did not arrive on time to extinguish an abandoned house fire on 7/26/25. The house had collapsed on itself by the time firefighters arrived. Fire crews extinguished hot spots around the house before backing down the winding road. A warning bell sounded.
- Home hardening of new development in the Wildland Urban Interface. This refers to fire resistant siding (cement based), windows, roofs and vents to prevent rapid fire spread while waiting for fire personnel.
The City of Eugene and the proposed Floral Hill Terrace does not meet these recommendations to ensure safe evacuation, timely fire response, and public safety beyond the Laurel Hill community.
Floral Hill Terrace will be developed right about where the Ribbon Trail is located just on the west side of Floral Hill Drive. It’s the area with the large stand of trees jutting into the valley. It is really a continuation of the Hendricks Park urban forest.
The 2026 Community Wildfire Protection Plan identifies the orange areas of this risk map below as wildfire vulnerability areas. Laurel Hill Valley is as high a risk area as the entire Southeast Eugene Hills. Even higher risk areas surround the valley when you get into the forested hills. Should a fire begin in this valley it could quickly head up hill into the 78 acres of Hendricks Park and into other residential neighborhoods.
Did you know that the two largest fires from easterly fall winds in Oregon were the Oxbow Ridge Fire (1966) burning 42,274 acres and the Holiday Farm Fire (2020) burning 173,000 acres. If you think that it won’t happen here you’re wrong. It already has. The 3rd largest fire stirred up by high easterly fall winds is our very own Moon Mountain fire (2023) burning 34.38 acres.
