Debris Management Task Force Update

Wildfire cleanup asking for specific property information for planning

Dec. 16, 2020

SALEM – Oregon property owners affected by September’s wildfires must provide specific cleanup needs to help crews plan and schedule upcoming work.

Those participating in the Oregon Wildfire Recovery Debris Management Task Force Step 2 cleanup need to complete a questionnaire asking for property specific information including how many buildings were on the property, the number of burned vehicles and the locations of underground tanks and foundations.

Property owners should watch for a letter or email from the task force with details on how to access the questionnaire and should complete it as soon as possible at wildfire.oregon.gov/cleanup. The letter and questionnaire are available in alternate formats and multiple languages.

If someone is not able to complete the questionnaire online, they can call the wildfire hotline at 503-934-1700. Please note that the phone line is unavailable on Dec. 16 due to technical issues. These will be resolved as quickly as possible. 

Cleanup
On private property, crews will remove dead or dying trees if they pose a threat to the safety of cleanup crew or public right of ways. The next step will be removal of ash and structural debris, including concrete and other household and construction materials, from private homes and businesses. A list of what is included in cleanup is available.

Hazard trees removal along roadways has begun. The initial focus is on logs and debris remaining from fire response work. Crews will then move on to private property. 

Step 2 of the cleanup includes homes, mobile home parks, second homes, businesses and other structures. Once work is completed, property owners will receive a notice that the property is ready for rebuilding.

Property owners in Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Marion are eligible to participate in cleanup. For most, the cleanup will be at no cost. The work paves the way for rebuilding efforts, community recovery and helps revitalize Oregon’s economy.

Home and business owners must sign a Right of Entry Form with their county to allow cleanup crews onto their property.

Visit https://wildfire.oregon.gov/ or call 503-934-1700 to submit your form and for more information. Even those who did not join in Step 1 of the cleanup, which focused on hazardous household waste, may still opt into the program.

Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day fires constitute the largest and most expensive disaster in our state’s history, burning over 1 million acres and destroying over 5,000 structures.

Initial estimates put the debris cleanup from the September 2020 Oregon wildfires at over $600 million, including $326 million for ash and debris removal and $295 million to remove hazard trees.

More information
Wildfire cleanup webpage: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/cleanup 
Wildfire debris cleanup hotline: 503-934-1700 or odot.wildfire@odot.state.or.us
Highway travel conditions: TripCheck.com 

You can get these documents in other languages, large print, braille or a format you prefer. Contact David Cardona, OEM Language Access Coordinator at 971-719-1183 or email david.cardona@state.or.us. We accept all relay calls or you can dial 711.

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Oregon’s Debris Management Task Force, which includes the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Transportation, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, is coordinating federal, state, and local government agencies to clean up debris from the 2020 Oregon wildfires. If you want to make sure you continue receiving news, please make sure you are signed up on the email list, now being hosted by ODOT. Sign up for updates