Oregon’s U.S. senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, on Thursday, July 25, sent a letter to two federal officials calling for more firefighting resources to be sent to Oregon, where several major wildfires are burning, including the state’s — and nation’s — largest blaze, the 284,000-acre Durkee Fire in Baker and Malheur counties.

Wyden and Merkley sent the letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, whose responsibilities include the U.S. Forest Service, and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose department includes the Bureau of Land Management.

“While we acknowledge the capacity challenge federal agencies face, please continue to work quickly to secure additional resources for Oregon,” the senators wrote. “It is encouraging to hear that our region is currently the top priority for initial attack nationally and that international crews will help bolster our wearying crews.”

Merkley and Wyden’s urgent request for support comes after hearing directly from local officials and emergency personnel, particularly in Eastern Oregon.

As one incident commander explained during a recent meeting, “everyone is stretched thin” across the state as multiple agencies are working diligently to protect people and property from both human-caused and lightning caused fires. Additionally, local volunteers are heroically beating back the fires while also watching their pastures burn and hoping their livestock can escape. Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) are also admirably rising to the challenge to protect their communities, often defending their neighbors’ properties at risk to their own homes, the senators said in a press release.

“The partnership, collaboration, and respect between the agency fire crews and leaders and the community staff and volunteers are impressive to watch, and without that partnership, we would undoubtedly face even more difficulties. We encourage your agencies to continue that level of cooperation,” Wyden and Merkley wrote.

The senators noted that fires have destroyed homes and utility poles, killed livestock and burned hundreds of thousands of acres of summer grazing pasture.

The senators said they expect Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to submit multiple requests for federal disaster declarations for areas of the state that have already experienced extreme losses.

“We urge you to expedite review of those appeals,” the senators wrote. “Please also encourage continued support by your agency staff on the ground in Oregon, as their services and resources will be greatly needed by a wide range of rural communities devastated by these fires.”