(Washington, D.C.) -- President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for five Oregon counties-Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco, and Wheeler-hit hard by the devastating 2024 wildfire season. Federal funds will assist residents and small businesses as they recover from fires that destroyed homes and scorched nearly two million acres, three times the average annual burn. Officials, including Sen. Ron Wyden, welcomed the relief to help impacted communities rebuild.