Lane Electric Cooperative awarded $20 million for Holiday Farm Fire reconstruction
Adam Duvernay
The electricity provider for parts of Lane County affected by the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire will receive nearly $20 million in federal grants to rebuild damaged power infrastructure.
Lane Electric Cooperative, which offers service in towns such as Blue River, Oakridge and others surrounding Eugene-Springfield area, is one of two electricity co-ops serving rural parts of Oregon to receive the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency grant.
Consumers Power Inc., which serves rural customers in Benton, Lincoln, Lane, Linn, Polk and Marion counties, is getting a $1.13 million FEMA grant to repair infrastructure.
Lane Electric Cooperative General Manager Debi Wilson said the utility plans to build a more resilient system by undergrounding the majority of its powerlines. She said putting the lines underground mitigates weather effects such as wind, snow, ice and landslides.
More:McKenzie Fire and Rescue awarded $125,000 for emergency operations center
"This grant is a huge deal because the funds enable us to help rebuild the McKenzie area stronger than before," Wilson said in a statement.
The Holiday Farm Fire was one of the large fires around Labor Day 2020 that burned more than 1 million acres statewide. The Holiday Farm Fire burned 173,000 acres of the McKenzie River Valley, destroyed about 400 homes and killed one person.
Holiday Farm Fire:A year later, the cause remains unknown
“I am pleased to see federal funds go directly to entities that will be on the front lines working to revive our rural communities and rebuild critical infrastructure. I will continue fighting to bring federal support that will help Oregon to rebuild and to prevent future wildfire destruction," U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a news release.
Lane Electric Cooperative restored power to all homes affected by the Holiday Farm Fire in October 2020 and has provided temporary power options to those rebuilding homes.
Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com. Follow on Twitter @DuvernayOR.