2020 Oregon Wildfire Spotlight

Beginning September 7th, multiple fires ignited under critically hot and dry conditions and spread dramatically during multiple days of high winds (average sustained winds of 20-30 mph with 50-60 mph gusts). The result was multiple large fires burning across the state and over 1 million acres burned, which is twice the 10-year average. And while 500,000 Oregonians were under an evacuation notice (Level 1, 2 or 3), more than 40,000 had to evacuate their homes.

Two pre-existing fires in Oregon were exponentially aggravated by the high-wind event: Lionshead—which the wind pushed over the crest of the Cascades from Warm Springs—and Beachie Creek. Of the dozens of fires that started throughout the wind event, three grew into megafires (+100,000 acres), pushed by tropical-storm force winds: Archie Creek, Holiday Farm, and Riverside. The Beachie Creek and Holiday Farm fires burned along the Santiam and McKenzie rivers respectively.

Oregon's Governor Brown stated that the 2020 Oregon wildfire events could be "the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state".

On the week of September 28, 2020 a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) was conducted and validated significant damages in the following counties: Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion and Tillamook. The cost estimates provided are conservatively low due to the ongoing fire/emergency response operations and the lack of access to the impacted areas at the time the assessments were accomplished.

From the individual assistance PDA assessments, it is estimated that over 4,000 homes were destroyed.

From the public assistance PDA assessments, the estimated costs for this disaster are categorized as follows:

• Category A (Debris Removal): $310,878,021
• Category B (Emergency Protective Measures): $16,453,378
• Category C (Roads and Bridges): $12,365,999
• Category D (Water Control Facilities): $1,398,564
• Category E (Public Buildings): $4,845,916
• Category F (Utilities): $24,724,250
• Category G (Parks/Other): $9,562,820
• For a total estimated cost of roughly $380,228,948

On 15 September 2020, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Oregon and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires and straight-line winds beginning on September 7, 2020, and continuing.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures in the counties of Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill.

Finally, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Pete Gaynor, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Dolph A. Diemont as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-approves-oregon-disaster-declaration-091520/

Ongoing work continues with cleanup of properties affected by wildfires. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working on right of entry and removing hazardous debris from these properties so recovery can continue. See the storymap below indicating the status of their operations.