eXtension

Fire damaged tree removal

Asked October 7, 2020, 2:07 PM EDT

Wild fire raged across my little acre of land in Idanha. Multiple trees were burned to the ground and about 40 were left standing, charred down to the roots. There are several causes of concern here as electric lines cross my property, my home and my neighbors homes are in jeopardy as well as our well houses and other outdoor structures. Our community has been affected, multiple homes have burned. Now that the fire has died down in my locale I'm concerned about branches and the trees themselves falling on our structures. I am 70+, with limited income, and not able to remove the trees myself. It was mentioned that I reach out to you for suggestions on how to deal with this problem. I'm not able to send pictures at this time due to spotty wifi and telephone connections in our area. I am at a loss to find something affordable and have no idea who to contact. The rainy season will be here shortly followed most likely by snow. I know that several of my neighbors have the same concerns that I do. I would greatly appreciate any help that you are able to give me.

Marion County Oregon

1 Response

I am so sorry for your losses from the fire. Assessing and dealing with hazard trees does get complicated depending on who owns the tree and adjacent property or infrastructure at risk.

For help with your hazard trees and other wildfire damage issues not covered by your insurance, try contacting FEMA 1-800-621-3362 and also the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Marion County: (503) 399-5741 to see how they might help in your situation . Note that FEMA has set up in-person help centers at:
Gates Community Church in Linn County open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Anthony Hall in Sublimity, Marion County open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
External Outreach Center at Stayton Community Center in Marion County open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Also See https://extension.oregonstate.edu/forests/fire/after-wildfire for more information and sources of assistance.

Please contact me directly via email if you can for continued correspondence so I can send you more details as they develop. glenn.ahrens@oregonstate.edu

I will be visiting Detroit with several other OSU Extension foresters to look at tree damage and related issues with city officials and residents on October 21. I am hoping to learn more about coordinated efforts to help the community with these issues at the larger scale across property lines.