The Oregon Department of Forestry announced October 25 the end of the 2024 fire season — a season that burned a record 1.9 million acres, three times the 10-year seasonal average, and destroyed 42 homes and 132 structures statewide.
Earlier in the week, Governor Tina Kotek requested a federal major disaster declaration from President Joe Biden, asking for supplemental grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program for costs incurred from wildfires between July 10 and September 7. She also asked that Biden waive the state’s share of the cost for emergency work, according to a press release from her office.
The governor’s request applies to Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler counties. Those counties, the governor wrote, “…experienced significant damage and destruction to utility poles and lines, resulting in power, communication, and internet outages; disruptions to travel and the ability to conduct emergency responses; and mass sheltering needs for medically fragile, older adults and isolated persons without power.”
Following the governor’s letter, the state’s entire congressional delegation wrote to Biden urging his support.
“The 2024 wildfire season has been one of the most devastating and costly fire seasons on record,” the congressional delegation 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.”
According to the governor’s press release, it typically takes six weeks after a major disaster declaration request for the federal government to respond.
With the official end of fire season also comes the opening of debris burning. Bend, Redmond and La Pine all announced that outdoor debris burning will open on Monday, October 28, with varying restrictions for each city.
This article appears in Source Weekly October 24, 2024.
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Sadly, nobody, especially back in DC, will consider the multi-year economic impact of lost rangeland vegetation for grazing. “Oh, just a bunch of grass and weeds, no big deal. Not like its houses, or pretty trees.” People controlling the budgets still fail to get the connection between removing invasive, highly flammable cheat grass and massive wildfires with attendant damage and suppression costs. Just like lack of fuel reduction and forest fires.
Now, there will be little to nothing done to prevent re-invasion of cheat grass on burned rangeland and cyclical fuel removal in burned forestland.