For students who stayed in Eugene over the summer, it was a shock when the air quality got too bad to even go outside. This all occurred between the end of July to the end of September of this year when two forest fires raged southeast of Eugene in the Willamette Valley. Even though Oregon had a mostly wet winter, a summer of consistently hot and dry weather allowed the fires to flourish.
The Bedrock Fire began in the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest on Jul. 22 burning a total of 31,590 acres of forest with 18 injuries reported. The Bedrock Fire caused the Lane County Sheriff’s Office to issue a level three evacuation, meaning go now, in the area near Peninsula Road and prompted the closure of campgrounds along Big Fall Creek Road. The Bedrock Fire was finally 100% contained on Oct. 1, lasting an astonishing 70 days before being put out.
The Lookout Fire, which started 4 miles northeast of the McKenzie Bridge due to a lightning strike, began on Aug. 5 and has burned approximately 25,754 acres of forest with 23 injuries reported. The Lookout Fire has yet to be fully contained and continues to burn with only 60% contained as of Sunday morning, Oct. 8 due to the hot and dry conditions allowing the interior of the wildfire to intensify.
The fires over this past summer are not the first the McKenzie Valley and Willamette Forest area have experienced wildfires this severe. The Holiday Farm Fire began on Sept. 7, 2020 just west of the McKenzie Bridge. It was caused by downed power lines and engulfed an estimated 173,393 acres of land. Within those acres of land were over 500 houses and offices residents had to flee from on Labor Day. From property and road damage and the value loss of timber for sustainable harvest, the region had a $5.9 billion net economic impact.
The history of the battle against wildfires in southeast Eugene and the current fight against them has shown not only the severity of the fires, but the adversity of the people who are fighting these battles. The McKenzie residents are still rebuilding their community after three enduring years with aid from the McKenzie Valley Long Term Recovery Group, an organization that aims to uplift the victims of the Holiday Farm Fire and seek out funding for property owners that have lost their homes.
Volunteers and firefighters continue to combat the Lookout Fire on the east side with debris removal and hope the upcoming forecast of precipitation will aid in their efforts to suppress the fire. Southeast Eugene has been through hardship over the course of three years, but with the involvement and perseverance of their community, they’re on track to bounce back even stronger.
