DUFUR, Ore. — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and her wife, Aimee Kotek Wilson, arrived in Tygh Valley on Sunday. The two women stood at a viewpoint on the side of the road, surveying the damage from the Larch Creek Fire.
"You just have no sense until you’re out here and seeing it," Kotek said. "For me, this is my first big fire season as governor and so I need to be out here."
The Larch Creek Fire burned has over 18,000 acres in Wasco County. As of Sunday, it was 81% contained.
"Incredible amount of work, hundreds of folks out here saving homes," the governor said. "These communities are really lucky to be here right now."
While the Larch Creek Fire is under control, many other fires are burning across the state. Kotek said at least three are labeled "mega fires," as they've burned more than 100,000 acres. The Lone Rock Fire, the Cow Valley Fire and the Falls Fire all fit in that category. Another fire, the Durkee Fire in Baker County, joined the growing list over the weekend. Kotek invoked the Conflagration Act on Saturday so the state fire marshal could bring in more resources to help.
"Right now, we are focusing on keeping people safe, protecting communities, protecting lives and livestock lives," the governor said. "It will be costly but were doing everything we can right now to protect people and we'll worry about the bill later."
The governor added that there will need to be a long-term discussion in Salem about how to fund resources for fire seasons as intense as this one.
"We're in a new time and we’ve got a long fight ahead of us this summer," said Ben Duda, the Oregon Department of Forestry Central Oregon District operations support supervisor.
Duda has worked in firefighting for about 30 years. The last time he remembers having a fire season this early was the mid-90s. He said that season lasted through September. One of his concerns heading into two more months of firefighting is allowing crews to get proper rest.
"We try to cycle them out, stagger some of those breaks," Duda said, referring to the state and contracted crews.
"The poor landowners, the local fire departments a lot of times they don’t have luxury of the day off so they’re in this fight every day and they’re looking at some long weeks ahead."
Crews from around the nation are in Oregon to fight the larger fires. The governor said she'll consider calling in international support.
"It’s rare, but we do have firefighting crews who come in from other countries. I hope we don’t get there, but we are making those asks because we have a serious situation," Kotek said.