Four years after, a slow revival takes root along the Santiam Canyon

2024: Along North Fork Road near the Little North Fork of the Santiam River, new growth can be seen on old trees. Many of the burned trees that survived the 2020 fire have begun to flourish again. These survivors stand amid those that did not make it. — **2024:** Along North Fork Road near the Little North Fork of the Santiam River, new growth can be seen on old trees. Many of the burned trees that survived the 2020 fire have begun to flourish again. These survivors stand amid those that did not make it.

Story and photographs by DEE MOORE

I have been thinking a lot about renewal and rebirth lately; metaphors for new beginnings and transitions and, in some cases, endings. This brought back memories of my last visit to Santiam Canyon.

Four years ago the Santiam Canyon experienced a devastating disaster. Fire swept through the canyon and raced down the western side, indiscriminately burning whatever lay in its path. It was unpredictable what would and would not burn. People died, wildlife died, homes were burned, thousands of acres of forest burned, as did many of the animals that lived there. And devastation swept through the lives of the survivors. People were displaced, upended. Homes, treasures, memories, jobs and security were lost. And many were without savings, insurance and support.

Sponsor

2024: Signs of community life reviving. A new sidewalk and bicycle stand illustrate recovery and progress in the small town of Gates, much of which was wiped out during the 2020 fires.

2024: Signs of community life reviving. A walkup ice cream and espresso kiosk has replaced the convenience store and gas station that one sat at the intersection of Breitenbush Road and Highway 22 and Breitenbush Road/Highway 46.

2024: Signs of community life reviving. On left, a new sidewalk and bicycle stand illustrate recovery and progress in the small town of Gates, much of which was wiped out during the 2020 fires. On right, a walkup ice cream and espresso kiosk has replaced the convenience store and gas station that one sat at the intersection of Breitenbush Road and Highway 22 and Breitenbush Road/Highway 46.

2020: The charred remains of the convenience store and gas station where the ice cream and espresso kiosk pictured above now stands. — **2020:** The charred remains of the convenience store and gas station where the ice cream and espresso kiosk pictured above now stands.

Before the fire I had spent quite a bit of time up in the canyon. It was, at one time, part of my beat when I worked at the local daily paper. I often went to Lyons, Mill City and Gates to cover high school awards ceremonies, graduations and proms and local government issues, and to talk with city officials, artists and entertainers about their communities.

I went there to shoot for my own art projects. I went there to play. It was a great place to walk, hike, go camp and explore.

2024: Amid increasing foliage, tents and RVs once again sit next to the Little North Fork Santiam River. — **2024:** Amid increasing foliage, tents and RVs once again sit next to the Little North Fork Santiam River.

I visited the canyon two weeks after the fire had been officially put out. Having grown up in Southeast Texas, I had never seen a wildfire or its effects before. I was shocked to see the damage. What was gone and what was left was so very random. And so much was gone. It was a difficult assignment, visiting the small close-knit communities I had covered that were now torn apart along with the forests surrounding them.

Going back this past month I was once again somewhat surprised. I don’t know what I expected to find. Perhaps, because the remains of the fire were still there the last time I made the trip up into the canyon, I couldn’t see how much was lost. There had been forests of burned trees and dead vegetation, the derelict remains of buildings and homes, abandoned cars, and carrion birds everywhere. The canyon was a ghost of its former self, but its shadow still remained.

2020: Standing against a backdrop of burned trees and barren hillside, the Niagara Water Wheel was all that remained after the fires of this once picturesque scene along Highway 22. — **2020:** Standing against a backdrop of burned trees and barren hillside, the Niagara Water Wheel was all that remained after the fires of this once picturesque scene along Highway 22.

2024: Four years later, as the charred tree trunks stand as sentinels to the disaster, new life has sprung up and the water wheel has begun to get its greenery back. — **2024:** Four years later, as the charred tree trunks stand as sentinels to the disaster, new life has sprung up and the water wheel has begun to get its greenery back.

In some ways, when I went back this last month the devastation from the fire was more apparent than it had previously been.

I found large open spaces. There were empty lots and clear-cut land with only stumps where the burned trees had been. Here and there were a few blackened support beams, but little else remained of the structures they had belonged to.

Sponsor

Portland Area Theatre Alliance Fertile Ground Portland Oregon

2024: What remains of a once tree-covered hilltop on North Fork Road: Blackened stumps juxtaposing new growth as nature slowly reclaims the burned forest. — **2024:** What remains of a once tree-covered hilltop on North Fork Road: Blackened stumps juxtaposing new growth as nature slowly reclaims the burned forest.

2024: ... and the green begins to take over again. Trees and brush on a hillside above Highway 22 thrive alongside the stumps of burned trees that were removed. — **2024:** … and the green begins to take over again. Trees and brush on a hillside above Highway 22 thrive alongside the stumps of burned trees that were removed.

2024: A horse trailer and RV sit under nude, bleached-out trees. The site, badly burned over in 2020, has become home to a poultry farm. — **2024:** A horse trailer and RV sit under nude, bleached-out trees. The site, badly burned over in 2020, has become home to a poultry farm.

2024: Construction machinery now sits on what once was the site of the All Seasons Motel. The lot has been cleared of debris and is now available for sale. — **2024:** Construction machinery now sits on what once was the site of the All Seasons Motel. The lot has been cleared of debris and is now available for sale.

2024: Lush green has reclaimed the banks on the Little North Fork of the Santiam River. — **2024:** Lush green has reclaimed the banks on the Little North Fork of the Santiam River.

There was promise, though. Green vegetation grew next to the scorched remains of trees stumps. New homes had replaced some of the old. There were signs declaring “Planted in 2021” in fields of tiny saplings. The most striking thing was how many of the burned trees were still alive, with new growth sprouting from their charred trunks. The dichotomy was stunning.

But there also remained evidence of those who had not bounced back and were still struggling. People living in damaged houses covered by tents, burned household items waiting to be hauled off, RVs once full of vacation memories were now family homes.

Returning from tragedy is a herculean struggle. Pretty similes and metaphors, hollow condolences and trite euphemisms, none of these things can sum up the suffering and loss that people endured during and after the Santiam Fire. That hope remains was apparent from the efforts made by the communities and the people who live in them. Tourism has returned and new businesses have sprung up on the sites of old ones.

There will always be the Before and the After. People are trying. That’s all we can do.

2020: The town of Detroit was devastated by the fire, which left tons of charred rubble. Above, many of the town's business structures sat waiting to be cleared. — **2020:** The town of Detroit was devastated by the fire, which left tons of charred rubble. Above, many of the town’s business structures sat waiting to be cleared.

2024: Little was left of Detroit Lake's once prosperous vacation area around Highway 22 after the 2020 fire. Restaurants, motels, and other venues were destroyed. Now restored, the town is once again the local hub of water sports and recreation. — **2024:** Little was left of Detroit Lake’s once prosperous vacation area around Highway 22 after the 2020 fire. Restaurants, motels, and other venues were destroyed. Now restored, the town is once again the local hub of water sports and recreation.

How the Santiam Fire Grew

The Santiam Fire began with the Beachie Creek fire that ignited just south of Jawbone Flats in the Opal Creek Wilderness, which is part of U.S. Forest Service land. Thunderstorms rolled through the mountains on the morning of Aug. 18, 2020, starting multiple small fires, including the Beachie Creek fire. Because the terrain was so rugged, firefighters fought the fires using indirect methods as well as water drops while fire officials closed off portions of the area, hoping to contain them. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), “a historic wind event on Sept. 7, 2020, caused the fire to grow from about 500 acres to over 130,000 acres in a 24-hour span.”

2020: A burned-out fire engine in Detroit is covered with caution tape. The vehicle was abandoned as fire raced through the city. — **2020:** A burned-out fire engine in Detroit is covered with caution tape. The vehicle was abandoned as fire raced through the city.

2020: North Fork Road holds many examples of homes lost and possessions consumed by the Santiam fire. — **2020:** North Fork Road holds many examples of homes lost and possessions consumed by the Santiam fire.

2020: All that remains of the Kornerpost Restaurant in Detroit is a sign. Beside it, dump trucks wait to be filled with debris from the structure, Crows are the only inhabitants of the remains of a building across the street. — **2020:** All that remains of the Kornerpost Restaurant in Detroit is a sign. Beside it, dump trucks wait to be filled with debris from the structure, Crows are the only inhabitants of the remains of a building across the street.

This wind had gusts of up to 50 miles an hour and caused the fire to explode and move westward. The winds also blew down power lines around Santiam Canyon and sparked “13 spot fires between Detroit and Mehama, which quickly grew into a large blaze that merged with the Beachie Creek Fire within hours,” the Statesman Journal reported.

This, along with unprecedented drought conditions due to climate change, combined with high temperatures and low humidity, created conditions for fire to spread rapidly. “The fire claimed five lives, destroyed 470 homes as well as numerous businesses, decimated private and public forestland …,” the ODF said.

Sponsor

In the end, the fire grew to encompass 402,274 acres before it was fully contained on December 10, 2020.

A class action lawsuit against PacifiCorp and Pacific Power was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on September 30, 2020 alleging negligence and failure to maintain their power lines which contributed to the rapid spread of the Santiam fire and others.

PacifiCorp, which operates Pacific Power, was found liable on June, 12, 2023 for causing the Santiam Canyon Fire as well as the Echo Mountain, 242, and South Obenchain fires, collectively known as the Labor Day 2020 Wildfires. PacifiCorp was found to be negligent on all major counts, including gross negligence.

During the seven week class-action trial which was held in Multnomah County Courthouse plaintiff’s attorneys argued that PacifiCorp’s power lines ignited the fires. That the company did not proactively shut down the power and that it failed to maintain vegetation around the lines aiding the rapid spread of the fire.

2020: Some of the bungalows in the Oak Park Motel in Gates survived the fire, at least in part. — **2020:** Some of the bungalows in the Oak Park Motel in Gates survived the fire, at least in part.

2020: A blackened and scarred RV and travel trailer camping spot overlooked what was left of Detroit City's retail and shopping area. — **2020:** A blackened and scarred RV and travel trailer camping spot overlooked what was left of Detroit City’s retail and shopping area.

2020: Burned sign from a convenience store in Detroit Lake where an ice cream and espresso kiosk now stands. All that was left of the store were the sign, metal poles, gas pumps, and ice coolers. — **2020:** Burned sign from a convenience store in Detroit Lake where an ice cream and espresso kiosk now stands. All that was left of the store were the sign, metal poles, gas pumps, and ice coolers.

The Statesman Journal reported that the finding applied to “anyone whose home or property was burned in the fires in those areas, even if they were not part of the lawsuit, could potentially get financial relief in a second phase of the trial.”

According to The Oregonian, “as of March 2024, three jury trials for 36 plaintiffs in the class action suit have resulted in $220 million in liabilities for PacifiCorp.” And as of May of this year lawsuits continue to be brought against PacifiCorp for their negligence.

And OPB reported in May of 2024 that 30 wineries and vineyards have filed a lawsuit for more than $100 million against the company for damages resulting from the fire. In their filing the plaintiffs claim that the smoke from the fires tainted the grapes and that the smoke compounds carried through the entire wine making process affecting the flavor and making the wines unsellable. “Other Oregon wineries have also sued PacifiCorp in separate lawsuits that contain similar allegations and requests for economic damages,” OPB reported.

Sponsor

PacifiCorp operates one of the largest privately held transmission systems in the United States. PacifiCorp is headquartered in Portland, in the Lloyd District. Its parent corporations are Berkshire Hathaway, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, PPW Holdings LLC.