Gov. Kotek asks Biden for federal major disaster declaration after record-breaking, devastating wildfire season
Jefferson County one of six specified in request, backed by entire congressional delegation
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Governor Tina Kotek sent a letter to President Joe Biden this week, requesting a federal major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Act on behalf of the State of Oregon. The request follows one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in Oregon history.
If approved, it would provide supplemental grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program for state, tribal, local governments, and certain private nonprofits for costs incurred for responding and recovering from wildfires between July 10 and September 7.
“I am asking President Biden and the federal government to provide relief to the rural Oregon communities who weathered an unprecedented, destructive wildfire season,” Governor Kotek said. “Despite the scale and persistence of the wildfires, our fire and emergency teams put their lives on the line –with little rest– to protect Oregonians and what they hold dear. Our rural communities are still in profound crisis as a result of this season, and I am resolved to secure the federal assistance needed for Oregon to recover and rebuild.”
The request applies to six Oregon counties – Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Umatilla, Wasco, and Wheeler – that 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.
The governor also requested that the president waive the state’s share of the cost for emergency work in response to the disaster. The rural counties impacted by the wildfires have limited resources to support the standard share of the cost and the magnitude of state resources deployed across Oregon means state funding is insufficient to reimburse these communities.
On July 12, Governor Kotek declared a State of Emergency in response to the threat of wildfire. Throughout the season, she invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act a record 17 times to mobilize structural firefighting resources from the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to local communities, and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) mobilized thousands of wildland firefighting personnel.
A record 1.9 million acres burned this wildfire season, overwhelming the state’s 10-year average of 640,000 acres per season. Fires destroyed at least 42 homes and 132 other structures and caused severe disruptions to transportation, utility infrastructure, and social services.
Ranchers in Eastern Oregon lost access to critical resources for their livestock, leading to long-term challenges in restoring the land and significant lost business revenue.
The federal government typically takes approximately six weeks after submission of a federal major disaster declaration request to respond.
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Oregon Delegation Seeks Federal Help for State’s Record Fire Season
Citing severe damages to Central and Eastern Oregon, state lawmakers’ letter asks President Biden: “to swiftly provide the federal resources for our communities to recover and rebuild.”
Washington, D.C. – 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.”
The entire letter is here.
