December 3, 2021 3:10 a.m.

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have announced a major federal grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A release said $2.4 million will reimburse significant costs for providing non-congregate shelter to Oregonians who lost their homes or were displaced during the 2020 wildfires.

Merkley said, “I will never forget seeing entire towns that had been completely destroyed by wildfire in September 2020, or meeting children who were living at evacuation sites”. Merkley said the 2020 wildfires were one of the biggest displacement events ever seen in Oregon in decades, and it was a huge undertaking to make sure that thousands of impacted families had a safe place to stay in the aftermath. Merkley said, “I am pleased that this grant will help cover these costs, and I will keep fighting to lessen the burden on Oregon families as we continue to fight for recovery efforts in every corner of the state”.

Wyden said, “So many Oregon families suffered heartbreak and loss when the 2020 wildfires destroyed their homes and ripped through their communities”. Wyden said he is gratified after witnessing the devastation from these blazes that the state will receive the grant to help cover shelter costs for Oregonians displaced by the wildfires. He said, “And I’ll keep working to provide all the assistance that’s needed statewide to recover and rebound from this historic destruction”.

The release said FEMA will be sending the grant to the Oregon Department of Human Services to cover the costs of operating 89 shelters for disaster survivors in 22 cities located in 11 counties including Douglas.