Press Releases

Smoke is making it hazardous to breathe in Oregon – a threat that is severely compounded by the pandemic.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has been extremely challenging for working parents, forcing them to navigate new remote learning programs and search for child care while still working to support their families.

The multiple wildfires in Oregon have already devastated many families and communities, leaving them without the support and resources they need to survive and begin to recover.

The devastating wildfires burning in our congressional districts and across Oregon have destroyed the homes of hundreds, if not thousands, of Oregonians and many more have been displaced.

Air quality and smoke produced by the wildfires present a significant health threat for individuals with underlying health conditions such as asthma or lung conditions, and threaten to make the COVID-19 pandemic worse.

This year, more than 1 million acres of land in Oregon have been burned, and at least ten Oregonians have tragically lost their lives to the fires, with the death toll expected to increase. For comparison, an average total area of approximately 500,000 acres have burned each year of the last decade during a typical fire season.

Tens of thousands of Oregonians have been placed under evacuation orders, and hundreds have already lost their homes.

My Oregon colleagues and I supported this federal emergency disaster declaration to bring critical resources to our state’s wildfire response, and I’m glad to see it was approved so quickly.