[pages 3 & 4 of the attached]

Office of the Governor
State of Oregon

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 22-17
PROCLAMATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO IMMINENT THREAT OF WILDFIRE

Pursuant to ORS 401.165 et seq., I find that the State of Oregon is in a critical fire danger situation. Much of the state continues to experience high temperatures, wind, storms with dry lightning, and persistent drought. We have experienced wildfires this season that resulted in evacuations, threatened critical infrastructure, homes and other structures. Our neighboring states of Washington, California, Nevada, and Idaho, continue to experience similar fires and weather. The extended climate forecast in Oregon calls for continued warm and dry conditions, resulting in imminent threat of fire over a broad area of the State.

The Oregon Department of Forestry is heavily engaged in initial and extended wildfire attack and Incident Management Teams are currently deployed in Oregon. New and existing fire threats elevate the need to prepare for access to state resources including firefighting aircraft. This threat is not likely to recede in the near future. It is critically important that state resources like the National Guard be prepared to expedite requested resources and respond effectively to these dangerous and dynamic conditions, if requested.

Therefore, I hereby declare a statewide state of emergency due to the imminent and ongoing threat of wildfire.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS DIRECTED AND ORDERED:

1. All agencies of the state government will utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for any and all activities as requested by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal and coordinated by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to respond to or mitigate the effects of the wildfire emergency, as described in the state's Emergency Operations Plan. The Oregon National Guard will deploy and redeploy firefighting resources as needed and in accordance with Operations Agreement Smokey 2022 throughout the remainder of the fire season based upon threat and resource shortfalls. All individuals are to heed the advice of emergency officials with regard to this emergency in order to protect their safety.
2. This determination of a wildfire emergency is statewide. It is not to be construed as a comprehensive declaration or proclamation of emergency for other purposes. It is limited to the use of state resources and personnel for fire management required by the emergency, to request assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact if needed, and to allow state agencies to suspend provisions of any order or rule of the agency if strict compliance with the provisions of the order or rule would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay mitigating the effects of the wildfire emergency. Any local government requests for state resources must be submitted through county governing bodies to the Department of Emergency Management pursuant to ORS Chapter 401.
3. This order was made by verbal proclamation at 8:30 p.m. on August 27, 2022.
4. This order shall remain in effect until the earlier of November 1, 2022, or the date when the threat is significantly relieved or the fire season ends, as determined by the Governor.

Done at Salem, Oregon, this 28th day of August, 2022.

Kate Brown
GOVERNOR

ATTEST:

Shemia Fagan
SECRETARY OF STATE