Suspension of solid-fuel fire at SOAK

PNW has decided to suspend solid-fuel / ember-producing fire at SOAK for the foreseeable future. After two cancellations in a row due to unsafe conditions, and two wildfires that have threatened the Tygh Valley community, we have read the writing on the wall – the climate has changed and is continuing to change. Although some years might cooperate with regards to weather and fire risk, the overall dynamic is too unpredictable and risky to merit the tremendous amount of time, energy and effort that is needed to make it a contingent option. We still plan to include propane fire and fire spinning in future plans because that is a more manageable risk and less of a hazard to the local community.

You are probably wondering what this will mean for the event… and we are wondering that as well. In the next few months we will be soliciting community feedback and planning with the event Production team to find ways to embrace this shift and step into the next chapter of SOAK. Change is challenging, and it can also be an opportunity to exercise the creativity that our community has in abundance.

SOAK*2024 MBS photo by Chris “Starfish” Schneider