Rebuilding the Santiam Canyon

September 25, 2020

Fires have burned almost one million acres of ground in Oregon, taking lives and destroying property and livelihoods. The contributing factors to these blazes will, we hope, be well discussed in the next few months. But as of now all of the rubble has not yet been cleared, many in Detroit have not been able to go back to their homes, and many in the Santiam Canyon are looking for whatever help is available. Many in the community want to help, and there are resources available that we want to share with you.

Santiam Hospital S.I.T

The Santiam Hospital Service Integration Team (SIT) was established earlier this year to provide aide to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their organization is now helping those affected by the fire, as well. They describe their mission, “…to facilitate collaboration among community partners to provide coordinated resources and information for individuals and families. These are agency and community partners expediting solutions by matching resources to clearly defined needs, while avoiding duplication of services.”

Please reach out to SIT if you have been impacted by the wildfires in the Santiam Canyon. They can be reached at (503) 769-9319 or at sitmobile@santiamhospital.org.

Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief

A fund has been set up called the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief fund. This fund is a 501(c)3 entity administered by the Santiam Hospital to provide an opportunity for those who would like to donate money tax-free. Distribution of funds are overseen by Santiam Hospital SIT and the SCWRF Advisory Council. This is made up of a collaborative group of local community members already vested in the SIT network. One hundred percent of the monies contributed to the fund will be distributed specifically to meet the needs of Santiam Canyon residents until fund exhaustion. Online donations can be made at www. SantiamHospital.org.

Clean-up

Once immediate needs have been met, we know residents and business will want to get about the business of cleaning up and rebuilding. We are working with local companies to provide a drop location in Lyons for metal and steel debris from the fire. The details are currently being worked out, and we will post information when it is available.

Freres Lumber can utilize wood debris in our cogeneration facility, and will allow acceptable materials to be dropped off at our Lyons facility. Mike Shadrick at (503) 576-0557 must be contacted prior to dropping off wood debris. Please visit https://frereswood.com/contact-us/ and select Hogfuel Acquisition for a list of acceptable and unacceptable materials.

The SIT group may also have resources, such as contractors with access to equipment, available to help in clean-up efforts.

Rebuilding

Local businesses and organizations such as SEDCOR have met to discuss opportunities to expedite the process of rebuilding our communities. Discussions have focused on how to work with affected counties to expedite the permitting process. To find if it is possible to “grandfather” characteristics of a property like septic systems so that cost prohibitive property improvements are not required. Another consideration is the possibility of having pre-approved floor plans that would allow for speedier construction. Providing building materials to the area was also discussed, and ways to not only rebuild what was lost, but to make the community even better than before. These discussions are ongoing and we look forward to sharing information with you when it is available.

Kyle Freres