Responding to the Almeda Fire
The devastation for families in our southern Oregon community who have lost their homes to the Almeda fire is almost too much to take in. At the same time, the larger community has rallied in such a caring way – and continues to show up as we navigate this situation and needs continue to change.
In an emergency like this, the job of the council member is to amplify the messages from the City so that residents are getting consistent and accurate information. The following is a re-cap of information that has come to me as a councilor. I have packaged it here and checked it for accuracy with our Public Information Officer.
What We Need You To Do
Remain vigilant about new fire risk. All of Jackson County remains at Level 1 – Be Ready. Info about what that means is here: http://www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=13512
Keep helping your neighbor. Needs are shifting daily. Stay connected with organizations in our community and keep offering to help where you can, making sure to maintain COVID-19 precautions. Information about resources is here: http://www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=18041
Be patient with each other. Everyone’s stress level is high right now. We are all trying to listen to our better angels, and we all fail from time to time, so let’s continue to be compassionate and kind.
Make sure you are signed up for Nixle. If you have not been receiving messages from the City of Ashland since Tuesday, you are NOT yet signed up. Sign up here: www.ashland.or.us/nixle.
Where We Are
While the threat to our community from the Almeda Fire is contained, there are still other fires burning in our valley and very real risk of new fires. We are not out of fire season yet and we must remain vigilant to ensure that no new fires start in Ashland while we help our friends and neighbors who lost their homes or have been evacuated.
Our community has responded beautifully to this tragedy. The City of Ashland has remained laser focused on dealing with the physical emergency – fighting the fire, evacuating residents, providing medical treatment and transportation to local hospitals, and working to ensure that people’s belonging are safe from theft in the aftermath of the fire. We did this both in Ashland and then assisted in our neighboring communities of Talent, Phoenix, and Medford as the fire raged through the valley. As of mid-day last Wednesday, the emergency response has been led by the State of Oregon, so we are working collaboratively under that structure to contribute to the larger effort.
Our City staff – fire fighters, police officers, public works employees, utility workers, administrators – have worked themselves to exhaustion to protect and care for our community and our neighbors. We are so grateful for their hard work, expertise, and determination.
Many of our employees live in Talent and Ashland. Some lost their homes. Almost all have been evacuated with their families and remain unable to return even if their home didn’t burn. We are working hard to make sure that they have what they need for their families and they have continued to show up for Ashland and the larger Rogue Valley community. We are deeply moved by their spirit.
What The City Has Done
· Aggressively fought the fire when it broke out just outside of Quiet Village on Tuesday and alerted affected areas of the need to evacuate
· Shared our staffing resources with our neighboring communities once the fire turned away from Ashland and headed toward Talent and Phoenix
· Activated our Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday and meet daily to discuss needs and determine next steps for the City’s response
· Activated emergency shelters at Ashland High School and Ashland Middle School
· Proactively cut back power and completed damage inspections to get power restored in the Quiet Village area
· Worked to provide AFN access to Spectrum customers who were without service for several days following the fire
· Handled traffic control when I-5 and 99 were shut down and traffic shuttled through Ashland
What The City Is Doing Now
· Remaining at high alert to quickly attack any new fires that may start during these high fire risk days
· Continuing to assist Talent and Phoenix with inspecting properties, shutting off water and electricity hookups, and preparing to restart their utility systems.
· Assisting law enforcement agencies in Talent and Phoenix to control access to the burn areas in order to protect property from a small number of people who would attempt to steal from those homes
· Leading the investigation into the cause of the Almeda Fire
· Communicating information about what resources are available and where people can access them (see www.ashland.or.us/ashlandresponse)
· Working with Jackson County Emergency Operations – the incident command for the area – to develop needed longer-term housing for people who have lost their homes. We are developing an inventory of potential shelter locations in three categories 1) RV parking 2) tent camp 3) indoor shelter. When we get word from the County on the scope and scale of the shelter and material donations/distribution needs across the county, we will be ready to implement strategies with community partners.
· Coordinating with SOU and the School District to help all of our impacted staff find needed resources
Neighbor to Neighbor Response
Ashland residents have opened their homes to friends, relatives, and strangers evacuating from neighboring communities. Existing social services agencies, such as United Way and the Red Cross, have been working tirelessly since Tuesday to meet the overwhelming demand for assistance. Grassroots efforts, such as the Mutual Aid folks and the Bicycle Brigade, have stepped in to address specific needs and connect people who need assistance with formal and informal networks to care for them. There are many more organizations and informal networks taking action than can be listed here.
Because the emergency is on the scale that it is, this neighbor to neighbor work is a critical element of our shared community response. Thank you to everyone who is finding a way to help – restaurants, faith communities, and civic organizations offering meals; people and businesses transforming spaces to be used as living quarters; residents offering to organize and coordinate supplies from their front yards. All of this is necessary, alongside the formal response of municipal, county, state, and federal governments. The City of Ashland is now reaching out to some of these grassroots efforts to coordinate, share information, and see how we might assist as we move through the recovery process.
Going Forward
FEMA is on its way. When they get here, they will work with the municipal governments in the area to determine need and meet what they can. While we will not in any way drive that process, we will be part of it, ready to lend a hand when needs are identified by our neighboring city governments. The vast majority of the damage happened in Talent and Phoenix and in the areas outside of our formal city boundaries. They need to lead the recovery with the vision they hold for their respective futures. We will be right alongside them helping them make that vision a reality.
We have experienced an incredible shock and the road to recovery will be long. But our southern Oregon community is up to the challenge – and here in Ashland, we will continue to provide essential services for our residents while lending a hand to our neighbors. Thank you for all you are doing to help in these challenging times.