August 3, 2026 3:40 a.m.  

On Friday, State Senator David Brock of Port Orford, Vice Chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, sent a letter calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to immediately reverse its denials of Fire Management Assistance Grant funding for the East Evans Creek Fire and Rowe Creek Fire Complex.

Brock Smith said these two major wildfires have exceeded thresholds for federal assistance and continue to threaten Oregon communities.

The release said Oregon is experiencing one of its worst early wildfire seasons on record, with more than one million acres burned and tens of thousands of residents under evacuation orders. While FEMA approved FMAG’s for three other major fires, the agency denied assistance for east East Evans Creek and Rowe Creek despite both incidents surpassing the practical standard of more than 200 homes under immediate threat.

On Saturday, FEMA reversed its course for the Rowe Creek Fire Complex and authorized federal funding for the fire burning in Crook and Jefferson counties. Funding is still denied for the East Evans Creek Fire and FEMA did not acknowledge that fire in its weekend press release.