WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Thursday, Jan. 2, that President Joe Biden has issued a major disaster declaration for Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler counties for wildfires between July 10 and Aug. 23.

The major disaster declaration triggers the release of federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help communities in those counties recover from wildfires that were part of a record-setting season in Oregon that burned nearly 2 million acres statewide — about three times the amount in an average year.

“This is good news to start 2025 that helps residents and small businesses in Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler counties to recover and rebuild from the wildfires that struck their communities in the summer of 2024,” Wyden said in the announcement. “Oregon suffered a brutal fire season, and I’ll keep working to ensure our state has both what it needs from the federal government to rebound and also to take proactive steps such as higher firefighter pay along with prescribed burns in the cooler and wetter months.”

“Last summer’s wildfire season was devastating for many Oregonians and our economy as a record number of acres burned, destroying dozens of homes and damaging valuable rangelands, cattle, and miles of fences,” Merkley said in the announcement. “This federal disaster designation is essential for the state, local, and Tribal governments in several counties in Oregon to continue to recover and rebuild, and I will continue to do everything I can to secure the resources we need to repair, strengthen, and protect our communities from dangerous wildfires.”

The federal disaster declaration follows a letter from Oregon’s entire congressional delegation supporting Gov. Tina Kotek’s request that Oregon receive a major disaster declaration.