Governor Kate Brown warned Oregonians Wednesday to brace for a significant death toll from the wildfires devastating the state.
Officials haven’t had the chance yet to conduct search and rescue operations in most of the areas affected by the flame. But Brown said the writing is on the wall.
“We expect to see a great deal of loss, both in structures and in human lives," she said. "This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state’s history.”
Brown said at least five towns have been “substantially destroyed.” Evacuation alerts remain in place for many communities around the state.