March 1, 2021 3:15 a.m.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Congressman Peter DeFazio, along with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, have announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide additional funding for the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

A joint release said OEM will receive $13.1 million for costs tied to the 2020 wildfires.

In the release, the group said, “Between the COVID-19 pandemic, and the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged our state last fall, southwest Oregon is recovering from multiple crises at one”. The release said that state, tribal and local governments have seen their public health and emergency management capacities stretched thin or exceeded and their financial resources come under strain. The lawmakers said federal support will ensure that communities can focus on recovery instead of on the financial burdens of the effort.

The lawmakers said they will continue to pursue additional relief for Oregon,