September 7 marked five years after the 2020 Labor Day fires, an event that severely impacted so many people throughout the state. On Labor Day of 2020, a historic wind event combined with record dry fuels created incredibly dangerous fire conditions. In just a few days, nearly a million acres were burned in fast-spreading fires across western and south-central Oregon and multiple communities were unfortunately in the footprints of those fires.
One of the affected areas was the Santiam State Forest that ODF manages. Since those fires, ODF has been working hard over the last five years to help the forest recover.
From over five years of work, multiple wilderness areas in the forest have reopened in that time, the most notable being the Shellburg Falls and High Lakes Recreation Areas. As reforestation efforts across the state continue, ODF remains engaged every step of the way.
At its peak, the Labor Day wildfire incidents had over 7,500 assigned personnel from Oregon, 39 other states and Canada. That doesn’t include many of the government employees, landowners, forest operators, and members of the community who contributed to the fight.
After the fires, the Oregon Department of Forestry saw the immense need for mental health support for our firefighters. The Peer Support Team was officially launched before the 2022 fire season but had its beginnings in 2020, in the aftermath of the Labor Day fires, a non-fire related ODF employee death, and the impacts of the COVID pandemic.
The team is an official internal resource with a focus on mental health awareness, better understanding and mitigating its effects, and ultimately building employee resiliency. Each team member receives in-depth training and is required to maintain confidentially in all their interactions.
Though significant progress has been made over the last five years internally and externally, The Oregon Department of Forestry recognizes that progress is not linear and there is still a lot of work to be done.