The Unfortunate Aftermath of Fires That Took Place at North Umpqua

The Unfortunate Aftermath of Fires That Took Place at North Umpqua

After the tragic fires took over Oregon in mid September, many places including forests and houses were affected greatly. The fires in Oregon, California, and Washington caused around 700 homes and businesses to collapse and the losses in the Umpqua Watershed especially affected Douglas County. Driving down the North Umpqua highway towards Susan Creek Falls, the sight of burnt down buildings, trees and cars on the sides of the road.

Most of the forest while burnt still manages to stand, the charred logs of trees remain either collapsed or completely gone. The North Umpqua trail as well as Fall Creek Falls looks completely unrecognizable. The entire trail leading up to Susan Creek Falls is damaged and down, and the road to access it is also blocked off to prevent people from going. In the areas surrounding the highway to Susan Creek, a huge amount of hazardous trees and logs remain, and stabilizing them is one of the main goals to be achieved in the next few weeks to months. Construction workers are trying their best to make sure all the trees are properly stabilized.

From Glide continuing down the long stretch of highway, construction is ongoing as loggers slowly remove logs and the many charred cars and buildings. It’s recommended to stay away from the places that are in construction as well.

The forested area had around two dozen people living there, and almost all of that area was greatly impacted. The motel is still standing, but not the surrounding environment. Many of the reclamation plans that involve cleaning up the damage and rebuilding it by the Bureau Land of Management are still in the process of being formed with details still being discussed. Some of the main priorities include campgrounds and fallen trees.

It will take time for Oregon to get back to how it was, restoration typically taking several months and lots of work. For more information regarding how the area is looking, visit here.

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