President Declares ‘Major Disaster’ In Oregon Due To Wildfires

SALEM, Ore. — President Donald Trump issued a Presidential Disaster Declaration in Oregon due to historic wildfires on Tuesday afternoon.

Governor Kate Brown requested the declaration on Monday.

Oregon is resilient, but to fight fires on this scale, we need all the help we can get. Grateful we’ve been quickly granted a Presidential Disaster Declaration, helping provide support like damage assessment teams, search & rescue, debris management, shelter & medical assistance.

— Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) September 15, 2020

This declaration brings much needed resources to help with the response and recovery.  It follows a federal emergency declaration that was was granted last week.

FEMA says this action makes federal funding available to affected individuals, state, tribal, eligible local governments and certain private non-profit organizations.  Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Those who have sustained losses in the covered areas can begin applying for help at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362.