THE DALLES, Ore. — The state of Oregon and Wasco County have at last signed off on a plan to finish state-funded cleanup after the Rowena Fire, a wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes on the outskirts of The Dalles back in June.

Gov. Tina Kotek's office announced the intergovernmental agreement on Thursday. Backed by state funding, the plan empowers the county to hire contractors for clearing debris so residents — those who haven't already attempted debris removal independently — can finally begin to rebuild.

"This agreement took careful, collaborative work, and it was essential to ensure we could support a complete, coordinated debris removal operation without interruption,” Kotek said. “Now, Wasco County has the resources to move forward, and we're going to see more progress fo

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