Firefighters are prioritizing life safety as they battle a record 900,000 acres of wildfires across Oregon. The public is urged to stay away from active and evacuated wildfire areas, to obey road closure barricades, and to monitor and follow evacuation orders.
An estimated 500,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and that number continues to grow. The public is also urged to sign up for emergency alerts; which vary by county.
In other major developments:
In response to reports of price gouging in lodging rates and other essential consumer goods and services for Oregonians who have evacuated fire areas, Gov. Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-42, to help protect consumers from price gouging. This order also prevents of other essential consumer goods and services.
Brown also signed a request today for a federal disaster declaration. If approved, a declaration could result in federal financial assistance for disaster response, recovery, and mitigation against future disasters.
State emergency management officials encourage people affected by the current fires, whether or not they have evacuated, to register on The American Red Cross Safe and Well website. This helpful tool can bring relief to people looking for loved ones and help inform search efforts.
Oregon Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps said the extensive number of fires, and their severity, have tapped out statewide resources. The agency is reaching out to emergency management agencies across the country for resources, assistance and support. Resource requests are initiated through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a national interstate mutual aid agreement enabling states to share resources during times of disaster.
“Our Oregon firefighters and the emergency management community have been fully engaged on these devastating fires, including the many first responders who have been personally affected by the evacuations, power outages and destruction. Their efforts, stamina and response are nothing short of heroic,” said Phelps. “We can all do our part to support them by staying informed, being ready to go if evacuation and if you are somewhere safe, staying put.”
Visit wildfire.oregon.gov to learn about an interactive fire and hotspot map, road closures, air quality index, emergency lodging and more.
