Oregon Delegation Seeks Federal Help for State’s Record Fire Season

Oregon’s entire congressional delegation today urged President Biden to grant Governor Kotek’s request that Oregon receive a major disaster declaration in response to record-setting wildfires that burned about three times the average acreage this year.

“The 2024 wildfire season has been one of the most devastating and costly fire seasons on record,” U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Cliff Bentz, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas and Lori Chavez-DeRemer wrote in their letter to the president. “Central and Eastern Oregon experienced intense heat waves this summer, which dried out vegetation and created extreme fire risk on the landscape.  Severe lightning storms ignited a large number of fires, and windy conditions allowed many of these fires to spread rapidly.”

“Over 1.9 million acres burned, making it the largest wildfire season by acreage in Oregon’s history. 

"For context, the state’s 10-year average acres burned is 640,000 acres,” they wrote. “The estimated damages and cost to public infrastructure exceeds $650 million, and this figure does not account for the long-term loss in revenue local businesses will experience as a result of these fires.“

This year’s extreme infernos and severe storms hit Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Umatilla, Wasco, and Wheeler counties hardest, the delegation wrote. 

“The fires destroyed 42 homes and 132 additional buildings and structures, damaged critical infrastructure and the natural environment, interrupted schools, care facilities, and social services, injured 26 civilians and fire responders, and led to the death of an air tanker pilot,” they wrote. “These fires have also created profound hardship for our ranchers, as they destroyed private and public grazing lands and cut off access to essential resources for livestock.” 

Governor Kotek declared a statewide emergency from July 12 through October 1, 2024, to mobilize emergency response across rural central and eastern Oregon.  In their letter supporting the governor’s request for federal disaster assistance, the Oregon lawmakers asked the Biden-Harris administration to ensure state, local, and tribal governments have access to all available resources through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that the state’s cost-share be waived due to a lack of available state funding.

“Oregonians now require federal support and assistance to navigate the aftermath of this unprecedented fire season.  The back-to-back incidents and lack of basic services had a devastating effect on the safety and stamina of our fire crews,” the delegation wrote. “We urge you and your administration to swiftly provide the federal resources for our communities to recover and rebuild.”