Prineville, Ore. — Concerns are mounting among some residents displaced by Central Oregon’s ongoing wildfires after learning they and their animals may need to relocate from the Crook County Fairgrounds as preparations begin for next week’s Crook County Fair.
Earlier Wednesday morning, the Prineville Review began receiving messages from wildfire evacuees and other community members expressing concern about the planned relocation, with some questioning whether those displaced by the fires would have a safe place to go. Others voiced concern over the timing, saying families already coping with evacuations should not have to move again while the wildfire threat remains.
After hearing those concerns, we began investigating and reached out to County officials. Crook County Commission Chair Seth Crawford told the Prineville Review he was aware of the concerns being raised and was working with county staff to better communicate the efforts already underway to assist displaced residents while also minimizing impacts to the upcoming fair.
“It’s something that’s super important to us,” Crawford said. “There’s people that are being displaced from their homes. That’s a very high priority. But unfortunately, these fires are raging at the same time as the Crook County Fair, which is a very important part of our community. We have hundreds of kids in our community that have been working all year, extremely hard with their animals, getting them ready for the fair, and I think we’ve got a solution so we can give both the respect they deserve.”
Shortly afterward, Crook County issued an official public statement through the Crook County Fairgrounds addressing the concerns and outlining the county’s plans to relocate evacuees and livestock to alternative accommodations.
The issue also generated widespread discussion on social media, where many residents expressed sympathy for those displaced by the fires.
Some commenters argued the Crook County Fair should be postponed or canceled if necessary to allow wildfire victims and their animals to remain at the fairgrounds until the emergency subsides. Others said emergency shelter efforts should take precedence over community events during an active wildfire season.
At the same time, many others urged caution before reaching that conclusion, noting the Crook County Fair is far more than an annual celebration. For hundreds of local 4-H and FFA members, the fair represents a year’s worth of work raising livestock, preparing exhibits and developing agricultural skills. Many local families also depend on the fair financially through livestock auctions, vendor sales and other fair-related activities.
Others also pointed to the county’s subsequent communication, noting officials had clarified they were not simply asking evacuees to leave, but were actively coordinating alternative shelter and livestock accommodations before fair preparations begin.
In its official statement, Crook County acknowledged the concerns.
“The Crook County Fairgrounds has heard concerns about people evacuated from the fires and their animals being asked to relocate from the fairgrounds because of the upcoming Crook County Fair.”
According to the county, the Crook County Fairgrounds is working alongside Crook County Emergency Management and emergency response partners to ensure displaced residents continue to have safe accommodations while preparations for the fair move forward.
“The Crook County Fairgrounds is working closely with the Crook County Emergency Manager and our emergency response partners to identify and coordinate alternative accommodations for both evacuees and their livestock,” the statement said. “We are ensuring those affected by the fires continue to have safe and appropriate shelter as we begin setting up for The Crook County Fair.”
The county also emphasized the significance of the fair for local youth and agriculture.
“At the same time, we have a responsibility to the hundreds of local kids who have worked so hard over the past year raising, caring for, and preparing their 4-H and FFA projects for the Crook County Fair,” the statement continued. “For these young people, the fair represents a year’s worth of dedication, hard work, and learning. It is an important tradition that supports youth development, agriculture, and our community.”
County officials described the overlap between wildfire response and fair preparations as an unfortunate circumstance requiring both priorities to be addressed simultaneously.
“It is very unfortunate that these fires are raging during such an important event in our community,” the statement said. “Both our community event and our citizens and animals that have been displaced by fire are top priorities. Which is why we have worked so hard to find places for the people and animals to relocate.”
Crawford said much of the concern appeared to stem from people not yet receiving information about the county’s relocation plans.
“We were handling it, and it sounded like a lot of people weren’t getting that information,” he said. “So we want to make sure that information’s out there — that we are not leaving anybody behind. We’re not kicking anyone out. We’re relocating.”
The county asked those needing assistance relocating livestock to contact Lee Anne Porter at 541-233-7646. Evacuees needing information about shelter or housing assistance were directed to contact Brian Carmack with East Side Church at 541-815-1430.
“If you have an animal here, that animal is being relocated to another location,” Crawford said. “If you’re an evacuee that’s here or a future evacuee that needs help, we’ve got an area that is more than big enough to handle all the evacuees that would be needed.”
The Prineville Review will continue following the relocation efforts.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject matter expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
