Blue River

Five years after the Holiday Farm fire, Blue River has a new neighborhood. On Wednesday, the McKenzie Community Land Trust cut the ribbon on six freshly built homes now available for ownership by fire survivors.

More than five years since the Holiday Farm Fire swept through the McKenzie River Corridor, affected businesses are still struggling to pay rebuilding expenses. Now, one Blue River proprietor is trying a brick-by-brick approach.

Five years after the Holiday Farm Fire, the owner of Meyer's General Store is still trying to rebuild the town's only place to shop for food and other items.

Five years after the Holiday Farm Fire ravaged the McKenzie River Valley, destroying hundreds of homes, survivors still grapple with delayed grief and the lingering trauma of witnessing their homes and everything they owned go up in flames.

Patence Winningham was Lane County's Emergency Manager when the Holiday Farm Fire swept through the McKenzie River Valley. That's also her home. She reflects on that time and how Blue River has recovered.

This September marks five years since the Holiday Farm Fire burned up more than 173,000 acres in Oregon’s McKenzie River Corridor including Blue River. It’s a scenic mountain town that’s been around since 1900, with mining and timber as its former big industries.

A new welcome center in the town of Blue River had its grand opening this month. The McKenzie Crossing and Native Center is meant to highlight the historical presence of Native people in the area.

Blue River is still rebuilding from the Holiday Farm Fire of 2020. On April 5, the community held a block party to celebrate the progress.

The Trump administration’s mass firings of federal employees are being felt especially hard in rural communities across Oregon. While the potential impact to the state’s unemployment rate won’t be known until late March, workers who recently lost their jobs are already feeling the effects.

The McKenzie Community Land Trust is breaking ground on six affordable homes in Blue River for people who survived the Holiday Farm Fire.

Regrowth and renewal were the themes of a special ceremony in Blue River on Sunday. The event was also to highlight the history of Native Americans in the McKenzie River Corridor.

Four years after it was destroyed in the Holiday Farm fire, the McKenzie River Clinic has been rebuilt on its original site in Blue River.