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May 20, 2021
This monthly newsletter provides the latest information about Oregon's wildfire cleanup effort and what's underway to remove debris and hazard trees following the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.
Halfway Home: Debris removal on half of all fire-destroyed homesites complete
More than 1,800 home sites will soon receive letters from the state sharing that their properties have been cleared of debris and hazards, passed environmental testing, and are ready for rebuilding and their next chapter. The letters come as the Debris Management Task Force (DMTF) marks the milestone of completing ash and debris removal from half of all homesites in the program – helping families and communities move one major step closer to rebuilding and recovery. Watch what’s underway by clicking the video above or on the link here.
 Rebuilding Detroit: A once-thriving tourist community looks ahead to welcoming back visitors
When the Beachie Creek and Lionshead fires merged last summer, the small town of Detroit in the Santiam Canyon was almost entirely destroyed. The town lost nearly 70 percent of its businesses and public buildings, including its city hall and most of its infrastructure. Today, residents and business owners are looking forward to at least partially reopening and welcoming back visitors to Detroit Lake in time for Memorial Day. Watch how DMTF crews are helping Detroit restart its community and its tourism economy in the video above.
 Independent arborist hired to review state hazard tree removal as wildfire recovery efforts continue
As part of the historic effort to remove thousands of fire-damaged trees after more than a million acres burned in the 2020 wildfires, the independent arborist will review the intricate process underway for determining which fire-damaged trees near state highways and homes pose safety threats during a five-year period. Click the photo above or this link to read more.
 Unsafe portion of Highway 224 to remain closed through fall 2021
Recovery work along a wild and scenic section of the Clackamas River will require the continued closure of a 20-mile stretch of Highway 224 east of Estacada through at least the fall of 2021. The Labor Day 2020 Riverside Fire burned extremely hot, destroying tens of thousands of trees in its path. The dead or dying hazard trees still standing, most of which are perched high above the roadway on steep cliffs, along with falling rocks and a damaged roadway, make the corridor unsafe for public access. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the video above as crews work to mitigate the safety hazards and reopen this environmentally sensitive recreation corridor.
 Planting for recovery: Communities find hope in landscaping cleared properties
As ODOT and the DMTF cross the halfway mark in restoring fire-destroyed homesites, groups across the state are giving hope as they help residents replant their landscapes as they rebuild their homes. Read how these grassroots organizations are finding joy in helping their neighbors recover.
Governor Brown visits with residents as fire-devastated community prepares to rebuild
Approximately two-thirds of all homes lost in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires were located within the Almeda Drive Fire corridor in Jackson County, with more than 2,400 residential structures and almost 200 commercial structures destroyed. Governor Kate Brown recently met with residents of Mountain View Estates in the area, where ash and debris from the 144 homes lost has been cleared to make way for rebuilding and the community’s next chapter.
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