The wind, blowing heavily before the sun rose, was the first clue that September 8, 2020 was no ordinary day. Things only got worse for people in several parts of western Oregon, as fires spread in the gusty winds, ultimately damaging a million acres of land and burning down thousands of homes. Most of those were in Phoenix and Talent in the heart of the Medford-Ashland area, and the process of rebuilding--though well underway--is taking quite a bit of time.
We begin a series of interviews catching up with the progress of rebuilding, starting with State Representative Pam Marsh of Ashland. House District 5, her district, contains all the areas that burned in the Almeda Drive fire. We talk to the legislator about where the state has helped, where it has not, and what still needs to be done.