About 500,000 Oregonians Evacuate Amid Deadly Wildfires

An estimated 500,000 Oregonians, more than 10% of the state’s population, were forced to evacuate as of Thursday amid dozens of wildfires.

At least four have died in the record-breaking blazes, which over the course of just three days have burned over 900,000 acres, nearly double the annual average, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, The Washington Post reports.

“We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state,” Gov. Kate Brown tweeted Thursday, adding, “If you’re advised to evacuate, do so immediately. You may not get a second chance.”

The many people fleeing Clackamas County, the third-most populous in the state, to escape the Riverside Fire, significantly drove up the number of evacuees, said OEM spokeswoman Paula Fasano Negele.

Officials anticipated the Riverside blaze would merge with Marion County’s Beachie Creek Fire, another of Oregon’s largest wildfires.

In addition to displacing thousands, the Oregon Department of Forestry says those fires have burnt more than 300,000 acres at about 0% containment.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has issued an emergency order that will close outdoor properties, including city parks, for two weeks.

Rep. Peter A. DeFazio tweeted Thursday that President Trump had approved the state’s request for Emergency Declaration, “which will help bring desperately-needed federal aid to our community to help us recover from the #OregonFires.”

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