Five Years Later: Honoring Resilience and Recovery After the Oregon Labor Day Fires

On Labor Day weekend in 2020, Oregon experienced one of the most devastating wildfire events in its history. A series of incidents that tested not only Oregon’s ability to respond, but also our personal and collective preparedness and recovery capacity—as individuals, as communities, and as a state. This rare and powerful disaster started with a significant east wind event, that swept across the state, igniting and accelerating five megafires — Beachie Creek, Holiday Farm, Riverside, Lionshead and Archie Creek — and several other significant wildfires that, while smaller in acreage, contributed to the devastation. These included the South Obenchain Fire, Echo Mountain Complex Fire, Slater Fire, Almeda Drive Fire, Powers Fire, Two Four Two Fire and Brattain Fire. Together, these fires burned more than 1 million acres, destroyed over 5,000 homes and businesses, and ended with 11 lives lost. The fires left deep scars on landscapes, communities and hearts across western Oregon.

“The Labor Day Fires are something I will carry with me forever,” Oregon Department of Emergency Management Deputy Director (and former Lane County Emergency Manager during the Labor Day Fires) Patence Winningham, said. “We often discuss scenarios like this in our daily planning, training and exercises—pondering the ‘what if?’ — But never did I imagine I would find myself as a County Emergency Manager, facing the worst day of my life in my own community, impacting my family, and being responsible for providing support and coordination to first responders and affected communities.”

To read more about the timeline and response visit the 2020 Wildfires Spotlight StoryMap.

Now, five years later, we mark this somber milestone not only to remember the destruction but to honor the extraordinary resilience of Oregonians and the tireless work of those who have helped rebuild lives and communities.

A Statewide Impact, A Shared Response

The Labor Day fires affected every type of landownership from federal forests to private woodlands—and displaced thousands. Nearly 500,000 Oregonians were under evacuation levels 1-3 at the height of the crisis, with more than 40,000 having to leave their homes. In just 24 hours, 14 conflagrations were invoked, as fires burned in 12 counties. The fire service responded with one mission, to protect life and property.

There were more than 7,500 personnel assigned to wildfires after Labor Day 40 states and Canada. That number doesn’t include many of the government employees, landowners, forest operators and members of the community who contributed to the fight in any way they could.

The then Office of Emergency Management (OEM) provided much needed support and coordination at the local level to emergency managers, fire fighters, and dispatch centers, and leveraged the State Response System to provide immediate response and short-term recovery efforts. OEM played a crucial role in resource ordering, tracking and mission assignments. This included deploying firefighting resources, coordinating evacuations and providing logistical support.

"Being on the ground and witnessing the unwavering support from local partners and agencies was truly humbling,” Winningham said. “The coordination led by the [then] Office of Emergency Management, along with help from FEMA, Urban Search and Rescue teams, and other key partners like the Oregon Department of Forestry, State Fire Marshal, Human Services, Environmental Quality, and Health Authority was remarkable. From immediate fuel and communications restoration assistance to support for this displaced populations and overall morale support, every bit of assistance was invaluable. It was a monumental task. Yet, we rose to the occasion as one unified team, all while still recovering from the COVID response activities. It was an incredible job, an unforgettable experience, and a powerful reminder that none of us can do this alone.”

The firefight took a tremendous effort from the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System, 179 fire agencies contributed resources to support communities where fires threatened lives and structures. The collective response included nearly 300 firefighting apparatus and more than 2,000 members of Oregon’s structural firefighting service, all deployed on an extended response to assist the state’s coordinated actions. In the days and months that followed, emergency responders, volunteers, private partners, non-profits, faith-based communities, and neighbors stepped up in ways that continue to inspire.

OEM coordinated mass care efforts alongside multiple state agencies through the State Emergency Coordination Center, and in partnership with many partners such as local long term recovery groups, the American Red Cross and other agencies, and provided shelter and meals to thousands of survivors. In April 2023, the final survivor from the Holiday Farm Fire transitioned out of emergency shelter into permanent housing with the help of case managers from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS)—a milestone that reflects years of coordinated recovery efforts.

In the weeks after the fires were out, the state’s Debris Management Task Force, comprised of OEM, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Department of Transportation stood up unprecedented effort to figure out how to clean up properties so they would be ready for rebuilding. The task force, with the help of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, spent the next few months containing and disposing of the toxic debris left behind when 5,000 structures burn to the ground. Afterwards, task force managed contractors removed more than 600,000 tons of ash, burned cars, hazard trees and other debris so rebuilding could begin. In total the state spent $360 million on debris removal.

Read more about these efforts on the 2020 Oregon Wildfire Response and Recovery dashboard.

Long-Term Recovery: A Community-Led Journey

Recovery from disaster is never linear, and for many, it is far from over. Across the state, long-term recovery groups (LTRGs) have played a vital role in guiding survivors through the complexities of rebuilding.

In Jackson County, the Jackson County Community Long-Term Recovery Group emerged as a cornerstone of support following the Almeda and South Obenchain fires. Their work includes disaster case management, needs assessments and development of the “Rogue Reimagined” Regional Long-Term Recovery Plan, a blueprint for rebuilding with resilience and equity at its core.

These efforts have been bolstered by organizations like Catholic Charities of Oregon and Rogue Community Health which provided case management and emotional support to thousands of survivors. Their contributions, documented in the “Weaving Resilience” After Action Report, highlight the importance of community-based recovery and the power of collaboration.

Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead

The fires of 2020 exposed vulnerabilities in response, emergency preparedness and lack of adequate mitigation strategies. The abject destruction wrought upon the state’s idyllic landscapes was a wakeup call for all Oregonians. Governments and landowners had to acknowledge the hazards that fire-prone areas can face, including the importance of defensible space and fire resilient construction practices.

Invasive species, damaged watersheds and unstable slopes remain challenges in fire-affected areas. But restoration is underway, from ecological rehabilitation to policy reform. Groups like Forest Bridges are working to shift forest management paradigms to better protect ecosystems and communities, as seen in their commemoration of the Archie Creek Fire’s fifth anniversary.

More than 16,000 acres of the 47,000-acre Santiam State Forest were damaged by the Beachie Creek fire in 2020. Oregon Department of Forestry staff have been working to restore it ever since, and the last closed recreation area was recently reopened to the public. Post-fire recovery work has included planting 2.5 million trees, repairing 200 miles of roads, restoring ecologically-vital streamside areas, and repairing or rebuilding numerous trails and recreation sites.

The event also revealed the strength of Oregon’s communities and the importance of investing in long-term fuels reduction, alert and warning systems, and public education to build resilience at the most local level.

The fires highlighted the need for the creation, execution, and maintenance of emergency plans and procedures for future events at all levels of government. Many state agencies had to work together on recovery projects at a scale and capacity not seen in recent times. Oregon Department of Transportation, the agency directed by the Governor to perform debris removal after the 2020 fires, had to stand up a staff of two thousand employees for the next two years with little notice. Many county and city governments needed to fast track their recruitment and training of recovery personnel to account for the profound need for recovery services in their jurisdictions. Many organizations needed to expand their public contracting procedures to align with federally required contract clauses as a condition of reimbursement through FEMA Public Assistance Grants, this caused delays in procuring services and goods.

The immense scale of recovery operations also created logistical challenges for public information officers at all levels of government. Information provided to the public did not align with all cooperating agencies, which has led to improvements in disseminating and proofing information with OEM coordinating the lead in the disaster public information distribution through the establishment of a Joint Information Center that can be stood up during disasters to ensure continuity of information.

Since legislative changes went into effect in July 2022 that established OEM as a standalone department, the agency has continued to evolve. One notable change from the last legislative session was the transfer of oversight for the Oregon Statewide Communication Interoperability program from the State Chief Information Officer to OEM. This program ensures emergency responders maintain effective communication during crises and supports the statewide alert and warning system: ORAlert.gov.

OEM has also been tasked with launching the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS) Watch Center by the summer of 2026, aimed at establishing a 24/7 statewide watch capability.

In early 2020, OEM’s Recovery Section, which is tasked with working with FEMA and governments to write grant projects to cover a portion of the recovery costs, had three full-time employees. The agency was managing two large scale disaster events, the 2020 Wildfires and the state and federal response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which entailed almost $3 billion dollars in FEMA disaster grant funding. A contractor was procured as an owner’s representative to backfill OEM positions and assist ODOT with debris removal planning and operations. Contractor provided a huge amount of support, including a call center for survivors, debris operation oversight, and FEMA project development. However, contractor staff changeover and lack of their ability to mesh into state processes and systems prompted the need for increasing staffing levels in the section. During the last five years, the Recovery Section roster has been bolstered with ten additional FTE staff positions, reducing employee workloads to manageable levels and assisting with continuity of recovery operations, which can take years. The OEM Recovery Section, with support from FEMA, has obligated more than $600 million dollars in recovery grants for affected communities and governments.

OEM as an agency has nearly tripled in size in terms of staff levels since 2020. Staff have received thousands of hours of disaster response and recovery training and exercise, which has positioned that agency to better respond to events and

A Moment of Reflection

This commemoration is not just a marker of time, but a moment to reflect on what was lost, what has been rebuilt and what still lies ahead. It is a chance to honor the memory of those who perished, the courage of those who lost their homes and the compassion of those who opened theirs to strangers.

OEM remains committed to supporting recovery, preparedness and resilience across Oregon. As we look to the future, we carry forward the lessons of 2020 and the enduring spirit of the communities who rose from the ashes.

Read more about this event on the 2020 Wildfire’s Lessons Learned dashboard.

For more information on long-term recovery efforts and how to get involved, connect with the emergency management office in your area.