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US1 min(s) read
Published 14:01 17 Sep 2020 GMT
A volunteer firefighter with the Idanha-Detroit Fire District was reduced to tears as he walked through his burned down neighborhood in Keizer, Oregon.
The clip in question shows 50-year-old Donald Tesdal, who was affected by the Lion’s Head fire in Oregon on Monday, September 14.
You can watch the clip of Donald Tesdal walking through his burned down neighborhood in the video below:
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The volunteer firefighter packed as much as he could from the family home, turned sprinklers and hoses from his vegetable garden on and poked holes in the building's roof in a bid to help soak the whole house for protection.
Along with his wife, four children and their dog, Tesdal evacuated to Bend, Oregon, where they spent the night sleeping in their car.
The Associated Press reported last week that high winds and dry fuels in the Northwest represent similar conditions to those in California, where thousands of firefighters have been battling dozens of blazes across the state.
“This is proving to be an unprecedented and significant fire event for our state, and frankly for the entire West Coast,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said at a news conference.
Meanwhile, it's been announced that the state of Oregon's request for a public health emergency declaration has been granted.
“Oregon was already facing one major public health emergency, with a once-in-a-century pandemic,” Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a statement. “Now, deadly fires and hazardous air are compounding the public health dangers our communities face.”
The state requested assistance for 24 counties in western Oregon as well as in parts of central and eastern Oregon.
"The multiple wildfires in Oregon have already devastated many families and communities, leaving them without the support and resources they need to survive and begin to recover. My thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones and homes." Rep. Suzanne Bonamici tweeted of the approval.
"I’m encouraged that our request to approve @OregonGovBrown’s Major Disaster Declaration was quickly heeded so we can promptly send more help where it is desperately needed."
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The Associated Press previously reported that there had been 3,000 firefighters working on the ground battling the blazes in Oregon.