Today, Governor Tina Kotek directed the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to expeditiously begin phase 2 of the debris clean-up in Rowena following the devastating wildfire that destroyed over 50 homes and 90 other structures this past June.

“When Oregonians are in crisis, it is our job to do what needs to be done to help people in their time of need, even when we don’t have all the answers out of the gate,” Governor Kotek said. “To the Rowena community impacted by this disaster, you can expect the state and local government to partner to provide debris clean-up at no cost to you. That’s what you’ve been told and that’s what’s going to happen. As your Governor, you have my commitment that we will work together and rise to the occasion to see this through.”

“I am very pleased with the work that the Governor and her team have been doing to find a solution,” Wasco County Commission Chair Scott Hege said. “I’m confident we will find a path forward together.”

“We must come together to help the people that were devastated by the fire in Rowena and be a united front of support,” State Representative Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) said. “This community is tough. They can and will get through this.”

Without Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for this disaster, the Governor and local leaders will work together to secure funding from the legislature for clean-up costs. In the meantime, the Governor has directed state agencies to cover expenses with existing resources, with the expectation they will be reimbursed appropriately after the legislature acts to ensure no disruption to services or programs.

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