Oregon issues tips for evacuees returning home in wake of wildfires

For those displaced or evacuated due to recent devastating wildfires that swept across the state of Oregon, many have been able to begin planning to return to their homes with hopes that things are still intact.

This morning, the Oregon Office for Emergency Management updated the current situation, which reports only 10 active wildfires in the state, down from more than 30 over a week ago. Nine lives have been confirmed lost, and thousands of homes and businesses have burned to the ground.

As families and Oregonians get ready to head back home, the OEM revealed a list of tips and best practices to those in order to better prepare for what’s to come, and to focus on the next steps after this disaster.

Firstly, residents must call their local law enforcement non-emergency phone line in order to check for the green light to return to their homes.

After checking to see if it’s safe, OEM suggests being in constant contact with your personal and home insurance company throughout this stage.

Lastly, emergency services want Oregonians to focus on protection from future fires, smoke inhalation, harmful ash, and debris from the disaster. Information on how to protect against the potential dangers ahead, tools, and resources can be found at Wildfire.Oregon.Gov.

We are here to help as people return to their properties after the #OregonFires. Some properties are safe to return, many others are not as crews continue to fight the fires and remove debris and other hazards. Important info as you return: #OregonRising https://t.co/cFYJjbd1ZP pic.twitter.com/u5qVED8oOz

— OregonOEM (@OregonOEM) September 22, 2020

“My teams tell me that we’ve made significant progress on containing these fires,” said Oregon Governor Kate Brown in a press conference today. With a 7-day forecast of low fire potential, emergency services and firefighters in Oregon have a large window to continue making progress on these wildfires.