The Pure Water Partners (PWP) are starting a free firewood program for people in the McKenzie River Valley affected by the Holiday Farm Fire. The program uses the wood collected from hazard trees and fuels work on private properties participating in the PWP program for fire recovery.
PWP recognizes that many McKenzie River residents lost outbuildings, woodsheds, firewood, and equipment, and do not have the capacity to gather firewood at this time. They will have contractors haul logs that are non-merchantable to Suulutaaq’s Vida yard. The wood will be bucked into 16” rounds and split. The firewood can be picked up by residents in need or delivered to those homes with residents who are elderly or unable to pick up the wood themselves. Where it is needed, PWP will have volunteers stack and tarp firewood after it is delivered.
Residents in need of firewood can reach out to PWP directly, get referred by their disaster case manager, or get connected through local organizations such as McKenzie River Locals Helping Locals and Cascade Relief Team.
Landowners who need help with forest fire fuels reduction work and have log decks they need to have hauled away can reach out to the PWP and sign up for an assessment at www.eweb.org/community-and-environment/mckenzie-watershed-protection/landowner-assistance-programs/pure-water-partners.
For more information about the PWP firewood program, contact Lara Colley at lara@mckenziewc.org.