Fire Information Website Launched to Help Rogue Valley Residents Rebuild

A new website for official wildfire recovery information is now available at RogueValleyRebuilds.org.  Aimed at those affected by the Almeda and Obenchain fires, it brings together information from multiple organizations involved in the rebuilding effort.

“Recovering from these fires is a regional challenge.  The County and affected Cities can’t do it individually, and the State and Federal government can’t do it for us.  We all need to work together,” said John Vial, Director of the County’s Emergency Operations Center. “As we transition out of the emergency phase of this disaster into the recovery phase, Jackson County Emergency Management will be moving increasingly towards an inter-agency collaboration and public-private partnership model.”

“We’ve created this website as a one-stop information shop for survivors.  Resources and news from local, state, and federal agencies will all be collected in one place,” said Mark Decker, Jackson County’s Technology Director.  “It will also refer people to private and non-profit resource organizations in the community.”

The website is organized into sections such as Recovery, Rebuilding, and Resources.  In the Recovery section, residents will find help getting back on their feet financially, advice for dealing with insurance companies, and learn about temporary housing options.  In the Rebuild section, property owners can get help cleaning up hazardous debris and learn what’s next in the rebuilding process.

The RogueValleyRebuilds.org website is designed to be usable by all community members, including those who have limited English or who don’t have a computer. 

“Many of our residents lost their computers in the fire and only have a smartphone currently,” Decker said.  “So, we are trying to make the site as mobile-friendly as possible.  We’ve also included Google auto-translation and links to key information in Spanish.”

“There are so many sources of fire information out there on the internet, and not all of it is accurate and current,” Vial adds.  “This new website provides a central location where the latest official information is always available.  Rebuilding is a complex process, and we want our residents to have reliable information as we move forward.”

The website currently focuses on early-stage recovery efforts, such as debris cleanup, getting financial relief, and finding temporary housing.  Over time, it will evolve to focus more on long-term rebuilding issues such as planning, permits, and construction.