Sept. 17, 4:45 p.m.
All Facilities Are Still Safe
State fire officials are optimistic at this time that the wildfires near MacLaren will not affect the facility. We will continue to monitor the situation, and we will keep everyone posted if something changes.
All other OYA facilities are also safe from wildfires, although some are experiencing smoky air conditions, including MacLaren. The affected facilities are keeping everyone inside as much as possible.
Update on Community Programs
- Residential Programs: Youth and staff at Parrott Creek residential program returned to their campus in Clackamas County this week. They had evacuated last week due to nearby fires and poor air quality. All youth and staff are safe. No other residential programs had to evacuate.
- Foster and Proctor Homes: All foster families and youth are safe. Three foster homes had to evacuate due to smoke or nearby fires. Two have since returned home, but the other family lost their home and belongings to the fire. They are currently safe and OYA staff are working on different ways to support the foster parents and youth.
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Todas las instalaciones siguen fuera de peligro
Los oficiales de bomberos estatales son optimistas en este momento de que los incendios forestales cerca de MacLaren no afectarán la instalación. Continuaremos monitoreando la situación y mantendremos a todos informados si algo cambia.
Todas las demás instalaciones de OYA también están a salvo de incendios forestales, aunque algunas tienen condiciones de aire con humo, incluyendo MacLaren. Las instalaciones afectadas mantienen a todos adentro tanto como sea posible.
Actualización sobre programas comunitarios
- Programas residenciales: Los jóvenes y el personal del programa residencial Parrott Creek regresaron a su campus en el condado de Clackamas esta semana. Habían evacuado la semana pasada debido a incendios cercanos y mala calidad del aire. Todos los jóvenes y el personal están a salvo. Ningún otro programa residencial tuvo que evacuar.
- Hogares de crianza: Todas las familias de crianza y sus jóvenes están a salvo. Tres hogares fueron evacuados debido al humo o incendios cercanos. Dos han regresado a casa, pero la otra familia perdió su casa y sus pertenencias en el incendio. La familia está a salvo y el personal de OYA está tratando de encontrar formas de apoyar a la familia y a los jóvenes.
Sept. 17, 1 p.m.
Parrott Creek Youth Return to Campus
The youth and staff at the Parrott Creek residential program have returned to their campus in Clackamas County.
They had evacuated last week after wildfires nearby had caused hazardous air conditions.
All youth and staff are safe.
Sept. 15, 1 p.m.
Fire Officials Say MacLaren is Still Safe
State fire officials tell us that MacLaren and Woodburn are still safe from wildfires in the area.
As of yesterday, the two nearby wildfires – Riverside and Beachie Creek – had still not merged and they appeared to be moving away from MacLaren.
We do still have an evacuation plan and resources ready to go if things change and we need to evacuate.
Smoke and poor air quality are still issues. MacLaren gave out KN95 masks to all youth and staff. OYA also brought air scrubbers into the facility and MacLaren is limiting the amount of time youth are spending outside. School is being held on living units, and outside recreation activities have been cancelled.
All other OYA facilities are also safe from wildfires at this time.
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Oficiales de Bomberos indican que MacLaren continúa siendo Seguro
Funcionarios estatales de los bomberos indican que MacLaren y Woodburn continúan seguros con respect a los incendios del área.
Hasta el día de ayer, los dos incendios cercanos – Riverside y Beachie Creek – no se habían fusionado y parece que se están alejando de MacLaren.
Nosotros, seguimos teniendo un plan de evacuación y recursos listos en caso de cambio de planes y necesidad de evacuar.
El humo y la pobre calidad del aire continúan siendo considerados. MacLaren entregó Cubrebocas KN95 a todos los júvenes y al personal.
OYA también instaló depuradores de aire en MacLaren y se está limitando la cantidad de tiempo que los jóvenes pasan fuera de sus unidades. Las clases escolares se están llevando a cabo en las Unidades de Vivienda y las actividades recreacionales fuera de las viviendas hán sido canceladas
Todas las demás instalaciones de OYA continúan seguras de los incendios hasta éste momento.
Sept. 14, 2020, 4:55 pm
Status of OYA Facilities
State fire officials tell us that MacLaren is still safe from the nearby wildfires to the east. Conditions have improved, in fact, and they expect the threat to diminish. (Circumstances can change quickly, of course. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and will alert staff, families, and stakeholders if things change.)
All our other facilities are still out of fire danger, although several are experiencing air quality issues and keeping staff and youth inside as much as possible.
Central Office Closed Tuesday, Sept. 15
Because of continuing concerns about air quality at Central Office, it will remain closed on Tuesday, Sept. 15. All staff who are able to telework are asked to continue to do so – please stay safe. If any of you have questions about continuing to telework, please contact your manager.
State of Oregon Wildfire Resource Page
For news about wildfires in Oregon and useful resources within Oregon state government, visit the Oregon Wildfire Resources site. The site has a lot of useful information, such as how to volunteer or donate, find emergency shelter, and more.
Shelter for Evacuees
The American Red Cross has temporary shelters available throughout western Oregon, and those shelters have space available for more evacuees. For a list of temporary shelters, see the Red Cross Oregon website.
Donations and Volunteering
As noted above, you can find out how to make donations or volunteer your time by going to visit the Oregon Wildfire Resources site.
To donate food, water and other items, reach out to your local food pantry or Community Action Partnership to see if they are able to receive donations. Find food pantries at https://foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org/. Community Action Partnership of Oregon: https://caporegon.org/ Phone: 503-316-3951.
You can also register at the Disaster Volunteers and Donations Portal, which helps make sure donations can be used.
Please do not take donations to evacuation centers. Counties have received an influx of donations of materials they are unable to distribute. Unsolicited goods burden local organizations’ ability to meet survivors’ confirmed needs, drawing away valuable volunteer labor, transportation and warehouse space.
A great way to help is to make a financial donation to the American Red Cross or one of the certified organizations that are members of Oregon Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. These on-the-ground organizations know what items and quantities are needed, often buy in bulk with discounts and, if possible, purchase through businesses local to the disaster, which supports economic recovery.
Help Find and Reunite Loved Ones
Let loved ones know you are safe at the American Red Cross Safe and Well website. If you’ve been affected by the fires, whether or not you have evacuated, consider registering on the site to reassure your loved ones and help inform search efforts.
Sept. 12, 2020, 12:40 p.m.
MacLaren is Still Safe
This morning, fire officials notified OYA leaders that MacLaren YCF is still safe from the nearby wildfires to the east. Officials said the two fires still have not merged. They are not likely to spread toward Maclaren under current conditions. They will notify us if there is any cause for heightened concern.
As we noted yesterday, we do have a plan for evacuating MacLaren if that turns out to be necessary. If that happened, we would reach out to the families of affected youth with details.
Sept. 11, 4:50 p.m.
Do You Need to Evacuate? Where to Get Info
- The governor set up a webpage with an extensive list of wildfire resources: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/
- You can see fires statewide and zoom in to your area by using the Fire & Hotspots Map.
- Go to “County News/Alerts” to get county-by-county information. Where applicable, these include links to local maps showing evacuation zones.
- Check road conditions and closures.
- There’s also a link with useful information on home insurance and wildfires.
Sept. 11, 11:40 a.m.
How to Prepare for an Emergency Evacuation
The fires raging throughout Oregon have already destroyed several communities and forced many people to evacuate on a moment’s notice.
Below is a roundup of tips on preparing for evacuation.
Pre-Evacuation Prep
- Good tips from Readyforwildfire.org on preparing your home before evacuation. (Many of these actions apply only to home owners, but the list is a good start for apartment-dwellers too.)
Grab & Go lists
What do you take with you if you need to evacuate? Here are some tips:
- High-level guides:
- “What to pack if you must evacuate” from SFGate.
- Basic emergency supply kit from Readyforwildfire.org.
- “Build a Kit” from Ready.gov.
- Grab & go kits based on if you have 5 minutes to prepare, 15-30 minutes to prepare, or 1-hour. Below is a screenshot of four lists organized in a similar way. (It was reposted by a California paper without credit, so we’re not sure of the source.)
NOTE: Keep COVID-19 in mind, and make sure your “go” kits include face coverings and disinfectant.
When You Evacuate
When immediate evacuation is necessary, Readywildfire.org suggests the following steps:
- Review your evacuation plan checklist.
- Make sure your emergency supply kit is in your vehicle.
- Cover up to protect against heat and flying embers. Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, heavy shoes/boots, cap, dry face covering, goggles or glasses. 100% cotton is preferable.
Additional Tips
The OSU Extension Service has some useful guides here, including:
- How to reduce stress and anxiety.
- Food safety if your freezer stops.
- Survival Basics: Water.
- No Power? No Problem.
For even more information, visit ready.gov/plan.
Sept. 11, 10:30 a.m.
MacLaren is Still Safe
This morning, fire officials notified OYA leaders that MacLaren YCF is still safe from the nearby wildfires to the east. Officials said those fires had not moved any farther west overnight, which is good news for MacLaren and Woodburn.
For the past few days, MacLaren and OYA leaders have been working with multiple agencies to finalize an evacuation plan. So far, MacLaren has not received an evacuation order, but if they do, we are ready.
For security and safety reasons, we cannot share details of where youth would be relocated at this time. However, if an evacuation occurred, OYA would reach out to the affected youths’ families with more details.
Sept. 10, 5 p.m.
Status of OYA Facilities
Fire officials continue to tell us that MacLaren YCF is not in direct fire danger.
However, we continued making preparations on Thursday in case an evacuation is necessary.
All our other facilities are still out of fire danger, although many are experiencing air quality issues and keeping staff and youth inside as much as possible.
Central Office Closed for Rest of Week
We have closed OYA’s central office in Salem for today and Friday and have asked staff there to telework instead.
We are concerned about the air quality in the building and want everyone to be safe.
You can find a full list of state office building closures on the Department of Administrative Services website.
Sept. 10, 12 p.m.
Central Office Closed – Staff Teleworking
We have closed OYA’s central office in Salem for the day and asked staff there to telework instead. We are concerned about the air quality in the building and want everyone to be safe. This may continue through tomorrow as well; we’ll post updates as we have them.
See also: state office building closures.
Sept. 10, 10 a.m.
Parrott Creek Program Evacuated
Early yesterday evening, the Parrott Creek residential program in Clackamas County evacuated all youth and staff to a different location. Everyone is safe and families of the affected youth were notified.
Due to nearby wildfires, the program had been on level 1 status to prepare for possible evacuation. As a precaution, they chose to evacuate early to get the youth to a location with better air quality.
Sept. 9, 5 p.m.
OYA Youth Correctional and Transitional Facilities
None of our facilities are in direct fire danger, although many have hazardous air conditions.
MacLaren YCF: They are not in fire danger, but youth are staying inside due to poor air conditions. They are only leaving their living units for short trips to the gym for rec time. School is being held remotely on their living units. Late yesterday evening, we began making arrangements so that we are ready to evacuate MacLaren if it turns out to be necessary. No evacuation order has been issued at this point, but we will let you know if that changes.
Oak Creek YCF and Young Women’s Transition Program (YWTP): They are keeping youth indoors due to poor air quality, but they are safe from fires. Staff have been updating youth as much as possible, offering extra phone calls for youth to check on their families, and holding community groups to reassure youth.
Rogue Valley YCF: They are safe from fires but the air quality has been fluctuating between good and unhealthy. They have been keeping youth indoors when the air is unhealthy.
Tillamook YCF and Camp Tillamook: Both facilities have a lot of smoke in the air outside. They are limited travel for medical appointments due to wildfires in the area, but the facilities themselves are safe. Youth are being kept indoors, and work crews at Camp Tillamook have been cancelled.
Camp Florence: The facility is safe from fire but the air is at hazardous levels due to smoke. Youth are staying indoors until the smoke clears.
Camp Riverbend and Eastern Oregon YCF: They are not in danger of wildfires and the air conditions are fine.
Community Residential Programs
All of our community residential programs are currently safe from the wildfires. Many are keeping youth indoors due to poor air quality.
We only know of two programs at this time that are on evacuation alert: Parrot Creek in Clackamas County and Bob Belloni Ranch in Coos Bay. They are both on level 1 status, which means they have to be ready to evacuate at any time. However, they have not received an evacuation order yet.
Foster and Proctor Homes
One foster home and one proctor home were evacuated due to wildfires in their areas, but everyone is safe and they found shelter. The families of youth in those homes were notified.
All other foster and proctor homes are safe at this time, although some are on evacuation alert. We will make sure to notify families for any youth who have to evacuate.
We have advised our foster homes in areas with poor air quality to stay indoors.
Many OYA Staff Have Evacuated Their Homes
Many Oregon Youth Authority staff statewide have had to evacuate their homes due to fires in their area. Our hearts go out to all staff, partners, and families who’ve been impacted. We are all hoping everyone gets through this okay.
We ask members of the public to please be patient with us if you’re having issues reaching specific staff at our agency.
Oregon Wildfire Resources
The governor has set up a webpage with an extensive list of wildfire resources: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/
