Oregon is on Fire Again!

Posted by Pam Leavitt on July 29, 2024

The Durkee Fire in Baker and Malheur counties (credit: Oregon Department of Transportation).

Representative David Gomberg (D-10) produces a great weekly newsletter and outlined the issue of wildfires currently burning in Oregon.

Oregon is on fire again.

Oregon currently has as many fires burning as California, Washington, and Idaho combined. More acres are estimated to have burned already than all of 2023 combined.

We are also confronting four current megafires (more than 100K acres burning):

• In southeastern Oregon, near Burns, the 132,751-acre Falls fire is now 40% contained
• In Gilliam County, the Lone Rock fire has now grown to 131,407 acres and is 40% contained.
• The Cow Valley fire in Malheur County, which started on July 11, is now 133,490 acres. It is 78% contained.
• The adjacent Durkee fire has just merged with the Cow Valley fire. Combined, the two fires are burning more than 300,000 acres.

Nearly 3,500 Oregonians are currently under Level 3 (Go Now) Evacuation Orders. You can follow the state’s evacuation orders here.

About 40 fires are burning in Oregon and many are close to roads, prompting sudden highway closures. Officials urged travelers to visit TripCheck.com for the latest road conditions before heading out. The webpage provides live reports from the department dispatch center 24 hours a day and is updated immediately when conditions change.

ODOT advises travelers to use designated detours – not GPS directions – and carry emergency kits in their vehicles.

You can follow the fire season here in Oregon on the ODF Wildfire Blog and the Oregon State Fire Marshal blog. For news about Oregon and the entire Pacific Northwest, check out the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center blog, All three are updated each day.

Even when there is not a wildfire nearby, your region may be experiencing smoky conditions. You can track smoke reports at Oregon Smoke.

• Oregon Alert will direct you to your local alert system and you can sign up for alerts.
• Trip Check has road closures and conditions.
• Oregon Smoke Information has the current air quality conditions.
• The state’s fire dashboard gives an overview of the situation.
• The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center has the latest information about fires in the region.

Please note that the GoWest Foundation is a resource for credit unions or their employees who are impacted by wildfires or other natural disasters. Please visit: https://gowestfoundation.org/disaster-relief/

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Oregon Advocacy.