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FlashAlert utilizes the free service Twitter to distribute emergency text messages. While you are welcome to register your cell phone text message address directly into the FlashAlert system, we recommend that you simply "follow" the FlashAlert account for Oregon Dept. of Emerg. Management by clicking on the link below and logging in to (or creating) your free Twitter account. Twitter sends messages out exceptionally fast thanks to arrangements they have made with the cell phone companies.
Salem, Ore.—July 25, 2024 — If you are travelling by car this summer, especially if you are headed to Eastern Oregon, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are encouraging you to be fire safe and prepared.
The 2024 wildfire season is shaping up to be one for the record books. With Govenor Tina Kotek invoking the Emergency Conflagration Act for Durkee and Battle Mountain Complex Fires, there are now three large complex fires burning through acres of land east of the Cascades. Fire officials and OEM are asking people to take every precaution possible to avoid adding to the problem.
While you are packing and preparing to take off and explore our state, it’s important to stay up to date on road closures with Tripcheck.com; connect with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) about campfire restrictions; and make sure you have emergency supplies in case you get stranded.
Here is a list of items to consider for a basic emergency car kit:
Finally, pack extra water and snakes in case you get stuck for a while.
In addition to packing an emergency kit, ODOT wants to remind travelers to use U.S. 20 to move east or west across central and eastern Oregon, and if you must travel, consult Tripcheck.com and check conditions for your route. It is also important to make sure your car is tuned up, has plenty of gas and the tires are in good condition.
Here are more tips to be a fire safe traveler:
Maintain your car and carry the right equipment
There are tips on how to prevent wildfires on the Oregon Department of Forestry’s website.
You can find more tips on how to prepare your car for road trips at Ready,gov/car or check out Be 2 Weeks Ready to help build your self-reliance and community preparedness.
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It is the mission of Oregon Emergency Management to proactively develop emergency response, risk reduction and disaster recovery programs to better serve Oregonians during times of disaster. OEM prioritizes an equitable and inclusive culture of preparedness that empowers all Oregonians to thrive in times in crisis. The agency leads collaborative statewide efforts, inclusive of all partners and the communities we serve, to ensure capability to get help in an emergency and to protect, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies or disasters. For more information about the OEM, visit oregon.gov/oem.