The Aftermath of the Holiday Farm Fire
May 1, 2021
Almost eight months after the Holiday Farm Fire erupted near Blue River, Oregon, and tore through forests and small communities along the McKenzie River, recovery has been progressing slowly. While the smoky plumes rising from the mountainsides have dissipated, charred trees dot the barren landscape and remnants of burned buildings, garages, and cars still remain on many properties.
The wildfire that burnt over 173,000 acres destroyed hundreds of homes in the towns of Blue River, Nimrod, Vida, and Finn Rock, and resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people.
Though wildfires are growing more common in the western half of the United States, the Holiday Farm Fire caught residents of the McKenzie River Valley off guard as it ignited in the evening of September 7 and, aided by historically strong winds, quickly grew to engulf thousands of forested acres literally overnight. Those same winds also blew the heavy smoke into the Willamette Valley to the west, blanketing major towns like Eugene, Corvallis, and Salem in hazardous smoke and ash raining from the sky for a week. The fire was not fully extinguished until mid-October.