Disaster Recovery

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It is in times of need that we discover the full impact of communities united.

During natural or man-made disasters, United Ways of the Pacific Northwest (UWPNW) quickly mobilizes resources to support individuals and families when it’s most needed. UWPNW first launched the Disaster Recovery Fund in response to the 2020 wildfires devastating parts of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to evacuate and seek shelter, many with only a few minutes' notice. We saw the demand for a regional fund and were successful in moving funds to local communities most in need. We keep this fund open year-round to ensure we are always prepared to support local communities facing devastating disasters.

United Ways of the Pacific Northwest works in partnership with local United Way organizations in impacted communities across the region. All donations will be used to help provide displaced families with access to food, shelter, childcare, health care, and other critical services. This fund will help these families meet their emergent and long-term recovery needs. United Ways of the Pacific Northwest distributes funds to local United Ways in areas impacted by disaster, based on a formula developed that includes damage, population, and economic/racial equity as components. 

Our vision is that all communities can anticipate, withstand, and recover from these events because they are better prepared and have the resources they need. When you give to UWPNW's Disaster Recovery Fund, you help ensure that communities are equipped to respond and support the long-term recovery after a disaster.

2026 Wildfire Season: Why Your Support Matters Now

This year, the Pacific Northwest is facing one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, and communities like those in Spokane County are directly in the path of elevated risk. The National Interagency Fire Center has predicted above-average wildfire risk for Eastern Washington beginning in June 2026, expanding to the entire state by August. These conditions are driven by early-season drying, below-normal snowpack, and widespread drought. Washington State has declared a statewide drought emergency in early April.

The outlook across the broader region is equally serious. Oregon experienced its warmest winter on record, tied with 1934, resulting in snowpack levels falling to roughly one-third of normal across the Pacific Northwest — leaving hillsides and forests primed to burn earlier and faster than usual. State officials and forecasters have warned that 2026 could rival 2015, one of the most catastrophic wildfire years the region has ever seen. 

For Spokane County, which sits in Eastern Washington's wildland-urban interface, the threat is not distant — it is local. Wildfires can move faster than evacuation orders, and families can find themselves displaced with little to no warning, just as they did in 2020.

That's why being ready before a fire starts is everything. Your donation to the UWPNW Disaster Recovery Fund ensures that when fires ignite this summer, resources are already in place to reach the families who need them most — with no delay.

Donate Now

Local Wildfire Relief and Recovery Funds you can support: 

Upriver Fire, Spokane, WA Local Funds: Spokane County Wildfire Recovery Fund or Innova Foundation Eastern Washington Wildfire Fund

Gold Run Fire, Coeur d'Alene, ID Local Funds: United Way of North Idaho Wild Fire Relief Fund 

Wildfire Resources: Washington, Oregon & Idaho

🔴 IMPORTANT — Active Situation (as of June 18, 2026)

This is an active fire season across all three states. A wildfire in the Spokane area forced the evacuation of approximately 1,500 people and destroyed at least 15 homes as of June 17. Oregon's Governor Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency on June 16 due to the imminent threat of wildfire, with increasing heat, dry vegetation, and shifting winds creating dangerous conditions. Idaho held a pre-season wildfire briefing at the State Capitol on June 16, with state leaders warning that historically hot and dry conditions bring the potential for a significant and costly fire season.

Idaho

Alerts & Active Fire Tracking

  • Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Wildfire Alerts — sign up by fire district for text or email alerts on fires across the 6.3 million acres IDL protects; note that local sheriffs — not IDL — are responsible for issuing evacuation orders in Idaho 
  • Idaho State Alert and Warning System — statewide emergency alerts via the Idaho Office of Emergency Management
  • InciWeb — national fire incident information, including Idaho fires and road closures
  • BLM Idaho Fire Program — manages fire response across approximately 11 million acres of public land in central and southern Idaho

Idaho's Evacuation Framework
Idaho officially adopted "Ready, Set, Go!" as its statewide evacuation messaging framework in 2026, establishing consistent standards for wildfire evacuation communication statewide. 

Evacuation & Shelters

  • American Red Cross Shelter Finder — open shelters near you
  • Contact your local county sheriff's office — sheriffs coordinate and issue evacuation orders for wildfires in Idaho

Preparedness

Oregon

State Emergency Declaration

  • Oregon is currently under a state of emergency through the end of fire season, expected to last through October 2026.
  • ORAlert.gov — sign up for emergency alerts by zip code, including evacuation orders; urged by Governor Kotek as the primary alert signup for all Oregonians 
  • wildfire.oregon.gov — Oregon's official wildfire preparedness and response hub, including active evacuations
  • InciWeb — large fire incident information and road closures
  • TripCheck.com — road closures and conditions during wildfire events

Oregon's Evacuation Level System
Oregon uses a three-level evacuation system — "Be Ready, Be Set, Go Now!": Level 1 (Green) means stay aware and prepare; Level 2 (Yellow) means be ready to leave at any moment; Level 3 (Red) means evacuate immediately. 

Evacuation & Shelters

Preparedness

  • Oregon Department of Emergency Management — go-bag checklists, evacuation planning, Be2WeeksReady resources
  • Pets & Livestock: Ready.gov/pets for pet evacuation kits; Oregon Department of Agriculture for livestock resources
  • Insurance: Oregon Division of Financial Regulation — wildfire insurance resources (your standard homeowner's policy typically does not cover wildfire)

Washington

Alerts & Active Fire Tracking

  • WA DNR Wildfire Portal — real-time fire dashboard with active incidents, evacuation levels, and fire perimeters
  • WA DNR Current Wildfire Incident Information — official state fire updates; follow @wastateDNR on social media for real-time posts
  • Washington Smoke Blog — real-time wildfire alerts, active fire locations, PM2.5 sensors, wind direction, evacuation orders, and shelter locations; managed by active and retired wildland firefighters

Emergency Notifications

  • Sign up for your county alert system — each county runs its own (e.g., SpokaneAlert for Spokane County); search "[your county] emergency alerts Washington"
  • InciWeb — national incident information for large fires, including road closures

Evacuation & Shelters

  • American Red Cross Shelter Finder — open shelters near you; pets accommodated when possible
  • Follow your county sheriff and emergency management on social media for real-time evacuation level updates

Preparedness

Regional Resources (All Three States)