Each summer in Oregon seems to bring hotter days and smokier skies. In Eugene, the reality of climate change isn’t a distant threat — it’s right outside our windows. In 2020, the Holiday Farm Fire burned to just 50 miles outside of Eugene, shrouding the city in smoke.
Wildfires creep closer, heatwaves arrive earlier and for many residents, especially those living without shelter, these conditions can be deadly.
Theresa Boudreau sees this firsthand. As the program manager at White Bird Clinic, she works with some of the city’s most vulnerable populations — people who often live outdoors and have few options when the weather turns hostile.
“Community wise, there’s always a focus on cold weather,” Boudreau said. “We’re not always quick to think about preparedness for smoke events or heat events.”
The shift in climate patterns has forced local leaders to think differently. “Something that’s changed a lot in the past couple years is our county and city leaders recognizing that it’s better to be prepared for that and not need it, than to be willfully unprepared, which in the past we have been,” she said.
The city has made strides — setting up cooling shelters during extreme heat and clean air centers during wildfire smoke. But for people without transportation or safe storage for their belongings, these resources can feel out of reach.
“The biggest barrier is always accessibility due to being able to travel,” Boudreau explained. “One of the things that I was really grateful for this past summer was LTD really stepping up to provide transportation for folks that were needing to go to those respites.”
Even with transportation, other concerns linger. “A lot of our clientele have pets, and you’re not going to leave them behind,” Boudreau said.
She added that some people fear leaving their campsites unattended. “People worry about looting. That happens quite frequently for folks who are on the street and have to have everything they own in a tent.”
The unpredictability of wildfires makes planning difficult. Unlike cold snaps, which tend to be seasonal and rather predictable, wildfires can ignite with little warning. “You never know when a wildfire’s going to hit,” Boudreau said. “Being ready to make those collaborative decisions is what’s really important.”
Still, she sees promise in how local governments are coordinating behind the scenes. “Lane County does very well with their emergency response. Even when there’s no emergency happening, they’re meeting regularly and preparing for the what-ifs,” she said.
That preparation isn’t limited to officials. Boudreau believes that community involvement plays a vital role in protecting the most vulnerable.
“Volunteers are an essential part of service provision in this community,” she said. “That’s how you stave off some of the ‘not in my backyard’ mentality — through empathy and understanding.”
Boudreau encourages everyone to get involved, whether it’s helping during an emergency or supporting long-term initiatives. “Anytime you get the opportunity to volunteer for Egan, do it. Or for a heat respite. Or for the county COAD (Lane County Community Organizations in Active Disaster). When you see those opportunities pop up, take them,” she said.
For Boudreau, the urgency of this work is clear, recalling the apocalyptic skies during the 2020 and 2021 fire seasons.
“Waking up every day to a sky that looked post-apocalyptic was terrifying. I live indoors. I can only fathom what it looked like outdoors,” she said.
Moments like that underscore what’s at stake. “When you’re in crisis, how we treat our most vulnerable — that’s the test of the mettle. That is the measurement of a society,” Boudreau said. “Can we always do better? For sure. And when you know better, you do better.”
Mary-Ellen Briel • May 19, 2025 at 6:25 pm
A much-needed entity — thanks for the information/education.