We know we are not alone in our sorrow and shock over the staggering loss of lives and property due to the wildfires ravaging Oregon and the west coast. Our thoughts and heartfelt support go out to everyone impacted by the wildfires and for the personnel responding to the emergency.
While there are no active evacuation orders for residents within Deschutes County, we urge our community to remain vigilant and follow directions from local emergency management agencies.
If you are seeking information on either the wildfires or what you can do to help our neighbors, we’ve compiled a few key resources:
For those looking for the most up-to-date information on evacuations, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management’s interactive database has the most recent information.
InciWeb is an interagency all-risk incident information management system. The system was developed to provide the public with a single source of incident-related information and a standardized reporting tool for the Public Affairs community on all wildfires.
The NWCG large fire map provides active fire locations based on data provided by the National Interagency Coordination Center. This is updated daily in the morning by Incident Management Teams.
The Central Oregon Fire Information website offers daily updates on fires in the region and recommends people text “COFIRE” to 888-777 to receive wildfire and prescribed burn text alerts for the area. Local Information Staff will also be using this website to post information on smoke impacts and health techniques for Central Oregon residents.
The Oregon Wildfire Resources web page lists evacuation centers, road closures, and other helpful information.
People can donate and help the evacuees directly at the website for the Red Cross Cascades Region.
These fires serve as a sobering reminder that we also live, work, and play in a dry environment, where wildfire is a very real possibility. This is why we at the DCFP work so hard to support the implementation of the strategic, multi-step process of forest restoration. Treatments like careful logging, mowing, and prescribed burning are used together to improve the health of our forest, reduce the risk of out-of-control wildfires, reduce the severity of future wildfires when they do occur, and will keep our cherished communities and first responders safer.
