President Joe Biden has issued a disaster declaration authorizing federal help for five Oregon counties recovering from 2024 wildfires.
The declaration, made on New Year’s Day, allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to release funding to hard-hit Central and Eastern Oregon communities.
Last summer, wildfires burned almost two million acres statewide – destroying dozens of homes, killing cattle and damaging rangeland. At least 26 people were injured, and an air tanker pilot died.
Federal lawmakers estimate that the damage to public infrastructure alone topped $650 million, a figure that does not include private property losses or lost revenue experienced by businesses.
FILE - A sign warns of wildfire ahead on I-84 east near Durkee, Ore., July 31, 2024. The Durkee fire burned nearly 295,000 acres over the course of two weeks.
Anna Lueck / OPB
Gov. Tina Kotek and the state’s entire congressional delegation last year asked the president to act, citing losses in six counties. Biden’s decree covered five of those counties – Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler – but did not include Jefferson County.
State, tribal and local governments, and some nonprofits, can now receive FEMA funds in the counties affected by the disaster decree. Some statewide programs may also be eligible for federal aid.