Category: Oregon Wildfires
A Disaster Manager Looks Back on the 2020 Oregon Wildfires
Written by Patricia Griffiths, Cascades Communications Volunteer On September 7, 2020, high winds surged across Oregon, spreading a few small wildfires into multiple roaring conflagrations. More than one million acres […]
From Worry to Relief: A Sister’s Search Ends at a Red Cross Shelter
Written by Isabel Anderson, Regional Communications Manager The Flat Fire started the evening of August 21st in Jefferson and Deschutes County. Overnight, the fire grew exponentially from 8,000 to 21,000 […]
The American Red Cross is Ready for Wildfires, Are You?
By: Darrell Fuller, Oregon Red Cross Volunteer The American Red Cross responds to about 65,000 disasters every year and provides shelter, food, and hope for those impacted by severe weather […]
“I Wasn’t Expecting It, and It Was Nice”: Red Cross and Partners Bring Hope to Burdoin Fire Survivors
By Rebecca Marshall When the Red Cross talks about partnerships after a disaster, this is what they mean. On August 6, 2025, close to a dozen agencies gathered at the […]
Five Years Strong: Julie Bolt’s Journey Sparked by Oregon’s 2020 Wildfires
By Katherine Liu, Red Cross Volunteer When wildfires tore through Oregon in 2020, thousands were forced to flee from their homes. The year saw the most destructive fires on record […]
From Start to Finish the Red Cross Assists in the Road to Recovery After the Rowena Fire
By Rebecca Marshall Communications Director Much of the work done at the American Red Cross happens after a wildfire is contained or is out of the headlines. Such was the […]
Red Cross Opens Shelter During First Big Wildfire of the Season
On June 11, a wildfire quickly spread to the town of Rowena, Oregon in the Columbia River Gorge. The wind-whipped flames forced Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations for over 2,000 […]
The Red Cross Remembers the 1936 Great Fire of Bandon, Oregon
By Julie Furnas A little-known fact about the city of Bandon is that its former name was Averill until 1874 when Lord George Bennett renamed the city after his birthplace […]
Wildfire Season is Approaching Fast – Get Ready Now! May is Wildfire Preparedness Month.
By Patricia Griffiths, Red Cross Volunteer Brown skies, stinging eyes and poor air quality are some of the memories Oregonians living near urban areas have of wildfires in 2020 and […]
Born out of the ashes of the 2020 wildfires in Oregon, Rogue Food Unites is rebuilding community, one meal at a time
By Rebecca Marshall, Cascades Communications Director It’s been almost 5 years since the Alameda and Obenchain fires ripped through Jackson County, destroying 2,500 homes in a matter of hours. The […]