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Salem, OR - On January 3, 2025, Governor Tina Kotek announced that President Joe Biden approved federal disaster assistance for the state of Oregon to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the 2024 wildfires. The declaration comes after Governor Kotek sent a letter to President Biden requesting a presidential major disaster declaration.
“I am grateful that the federal government took action to provide relief to rural Oregon communities after this unprecedented, destructive wildfire season,” Governor Kotek said. “This federal declaration is an important step to help us respond to the scale and persistence of wildfires this year. I believe we are now on a stronger path to be made whole after the profound crisis this season has caused. I am thankful for the resolve that our local, state, and federal partners have shown to do what it takes to recover and rebuild.”
The declaration provides Public Assistance federal funding which will soon be available to the state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations. The money comes on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by wildfires in Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler counties. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) is collecting information from potential recipients to ensure efficient access to federal funding available through this disaster declaration. In addition to Public Assistance, federal funding will support hazard mitigation measures statewide.
On July 12, 2024, 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.
In December, Governor Kotek called a Special Legislative Session to appropriate $218 million to the Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) for costs associated with the 2024 wildfire season. The legislature convened and Oregon was able to pay bills associated with fighting fires in 2024.
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 millions of dollars worth of fencing, feed, and access to other critical resources for their livestock, leading to long-term challenges in restoring the land and significant lost business revenue.