PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Thursday that she and fire officials were hopeful it was the final day of the historic wind event that fueled wildfires across the state, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.
As of Thursday afternoon, 33 active wildfires had burned nearly 924,199 acres throughout the state. At least three people died.
“We are now facing unstable air conditions that continue to make response efforts very, very difficult,” Brown said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
The governor said firefighters hoped that by Friday afternoon they could transition from saving lives to fire suppression and containment.
In addition to the 10 incident management teams working the fires, three 125-person firefighting teams from the Oregon National Guard were schedule to arrive by the weekend, state fire officials said. Strike teams from Utah were also on their way to Oregon.
Doug Grafe, Oregon's chief deputy state fire marshal, said the Riverside Fire in Clackamas County was still moving northwest toward Estacada. The city of Molalla was given a Level 3 (Go now) evacuation order on Thursday.
While much of the east winds across Oregon had lessened, Grafe said a change in the windy weather was necessary before firefighters could gain the upper hand on the fires in Clackamas County and elsewhere.
Fire crews made progress holding the lines of the Echo Mountain Fire in Lincoln County, Grafe said. No structures were lost during the night.
Gov. Brown warned that extreme fire events like this will likely not be one-time events due to the impacts of climate change.
"Unfortunately, this is the bellwether of the future," she said.
Brown said it could be several weeks before we know the true extent of the damage.
"This is extremely difficult for many, many Oregonians,” said Brown. "We will continue to help people stay safe and deal with the aftermath."
Earlier on Thursday, Brown issued an executive order to help prevent price-gouging.
Under Executive Order No. 20-42, Brown declared Oregon is experiencing an "abnormal market disruption due to the wildfires."
The declaration means that a merchant or wholesaler "may not sell or offer to sell essential consumer goods or services for an amount that represents an unconscionably excessive price," according to Oregon Revised Statute 401.965.
During her news conference on Wednesday, the governor said Oregonians should expect to see a great deal of loss, both in structures and in human lives. The communities of Detroit in Marion County; Blue River and Vida in Lane County; and Phoenix and Talent in Jackson County are "substantially destroyed," Brown said.
