To the editor:

In September 2020, the Echo Mountain Complex Fire raced through Otis — one of the many devastating blazes in the historic 2020 Oregon wildfire season — ultimately burning approximately 2,500 acres and destroying roughly 300 homes and more than 339 structures in the small community.

In the weeks that followed, with debris piles still smoldering and the cleanup projected to take months, many Otis residents faced the grim reality that their return home — if possible at all — would be long delayed. Formal recovery operations were constrained by resources, regulatory hurdles, and the sheer scope of hazardous materials removal.

Faced with this, local homeowners began a volunteer-led cleanup of their own properties and those of their neighbors. This grassroots action was highly unusual and, in many cases, discouraged by state and county leaders concerned with liability and legal compliance. Very simply, their default was to say “No.”

Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall, however, did not dismiss these residents’ efforts. Instead of telling them to stop, she visited Otis, asked how she could help, and became an advocate for their work, often pushing back on other leaders within Lincoln County government. When the volunteer cleanup threatened to stall due to equipment rental costs, she secured county funding to sustain the effort. This support didn’t just provide financial backing — it validated the community’s need to fight for themselves at a moment of profound loss.

Having known Claire Hall personally for 20 years, I know she listens first, and then acts in partnership with those she represents. I am the former executive director of the Echo Mountain Fire Relief and Hall’s leadership during the Echo Mountain recovery exemplified that approach, helping ensure a community-led effort received the support it needed. Otis is still rebuilding, and the spirit of mutual aid that Commissioner Hall helped amplify remains a testament to what local leadership — and community — can achieve together.