My heart is with you and everyone who's been impacted by the raging wildfires across Oregon, Washington, California, and now Montana. The haze in the air, the inescapable smell of smoke, and the gray-orange sky remind us all of the ongoing tragedy. The loss of homes is devastating. The loss of life is heartbreaking.

With crews working 24 hours a day to contain the fires, conditions change minute to minute. It can be hard to know where to look for the most current information, so I wanted to share some key resources with you.

The most critical thing you can do right now is listen to authorities about alerts to stay safe. If you haven't done so already, text 888-777 with your zip code to be put on the alert system for all fire and evacuation messages.

Make a plan to evacuate immediately, should the situation take a turn for the worse.

Being heroic can be just being prepared. You don't need to be on the frontlines to help the firefighters – you just need to stay safe. Here's a comprehensive Wildfire Resources guide that the State of Oregon put together. You'll find information for each county, lodging information, road conditions, and more - so make sure to bookmark it!

The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center organizes federal and state agencies' efforts as they fight wildfires in the Pacific Northwest; you can follow the government response on their site.

The Oregon Smoke Blog provides detailed information and maps about the locations of fires, as well as smoke and air quality throughout the state.

As the fire and smoke spread, and more Oregonians need to evacuate, relief organizations are working around the clock to provide food, water, shelter, and relief from the danger. If you can, please chip in to these organizations who are providing relief to those on the front lines and to support families hurt by this disaster.

I'd like to personally thank the first responders, the volunteers, and especially the thousands of firefighters who are putting their lives on the line to protect each and every one of us.

As always, don't forget to look out for your friends and neighbors, and for the wildlife that have also lost their homes. This has been a year of great sacrifices and we'll have a long road to recovery ahead of us. Thank you for doing your part in keeping our communities safe.

Rob

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