A home under construction along the Santiam River in Gates, Ore. on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)

The Oregon Building Codes Division is partnering with eight counties, including Marion, to help rebuild businesses and homes destroyed during the 2020 wildfire season. 

Home and business owners in Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Marion counties qualify for the program if their structure was damaged during the wildfire season and they use more fire resistant materials in the rebuild.

“These improvements are particularly effective at preventing ignition from embers, which can travel great distances from wildfires,” said Alana Cox, administrator of the Oregon Building Codes Division in a statement. “We hope this program will help people affected by the wildfires build back more fire-resistant communities.”

The Beachie Creek Fire swept through the Santiam Canyon including the hard-hit areas of Detroit and Gates in September 2020 after initially being detected on Aug. 16 approximately two miles south of Jawbone Flats. In total, the fire burned 182,600 forested acres and left about 700 families in the Santiam Canyon without homes. An Oregon State University report in February found just 13% of those families working through the Santiam Service Integration team had permanent housing following the fire.

To qualify for the grant, businesses or homes must be rebuilt with fire hardening materials like ignition-resistant roofing which could earn a grant of $2,200. New ventilation in attics are worth $350 while new windows that are fire-resistant can earn a grant of $550. 

Applications can be found online at the Building and Codes Division website. 

-Caitlyn May

By Salem Reporter