The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate each property for hazardous waste and other dangerous substances, and safely removed them when necessary. This was an important first step to keep Step 2 crews safe while cleaning properties and to ensure property owners’ safety when they return to rebuild.

Step 1 was funded by the federal and state government, and provided free of charge to property owners in all eight counties affected by the fires: Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Marion.

Hazardous waste includes fuel, car batteries, antifreeze, paint, bleach, fertilizers, pesticides, propane tanks, disinfectants, aerosols, solvents, used oil filters, pool chemicals, ammunition and more. Crews also identified and disposed of large pieces of asbestos materials.