Jackson County Wildfire Resiliency Permit Center to Close April 22, 2024
In the aftermath of the devastating Almeda and Obenchain fires in 2020, Jackson County Development Services rapidly assembled a team. They secured a location for the Wildfire Resiliency Permit Center to aid those looking to rebuild.
The Center issued 1,381 expedited permits for rebuilding residential and commercial structures in unincorporated Jackson County. Of the permits issued, 552 were for single-family dwellings, manufactured homes, and other residential structures, 69 were for commercial structures, and seven were for RV parks.
Jackson County also partnered with the Oregon Building Codes Division to launch a grant program to help home and business owners rebuild. The grant provided money to assist in paying for fire-hardening improvements. Since 2020, $1,844,900 has been disbursed to residents in burn areas of the South Obenchain and Almeda fires which also included within the city limits of Phoenix and Talent. Grants were approved for 434 fire survivors; 102 were in unincorporated areas of Jackson County, 102 were in Phoenix, and 230 were in Talent.
The Center also made numerous referrals to other agencies or grant assistance programs for all customers.
Despite the closure of the Wildfire Resiliency Permit Center, residents can still contact Jackson County Development Services to get permits and help with any rebuilding work, including available grant money for fire hardening, which remains after the fires.
The Jackson County Wildfire Resiliency Center would like to thank Jackson County officials, customers, and the community for their support during these last 3 ½ years.
