28/07/2026
Statement to the Membership Issued by Chairman Dennis White III and the 30th Tribal Council
July 27, 2026
First and foremost, I want to send prayers to our community, our people, and our Nation. My thoughts are especially with the families who have lost their homes during these devastating fires.
At this time, both the Beachcomb Fire and the Bench Fire remain at 0% containment, and our Agency area continues to be under Level 3 evacuation status. These fires have impacted every one of us and have been life-changing for many of our Tribal members.
On Saturday, July 25, I declared a State of Emergency for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. This decision was made after carefully considering the rapidly changing conditions and the many challenges our Nation was facing.
The Lower Seekseequa and Upper Seekseequa areas were the first to be evacuated as the fire advanced through those communities. Shortly afterward, Dry Hollow was also placed under evacuation. As the fires continued to grow, additional areas were placed under Level 3 evacuation orders. On Saturday, the Agency area was also placed under a Level 3 evacuation. These evacuation decisions were made by Fire Incident Command and are based solely on ensuring the safety of our community.
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs has closed its offices to help protect the safety of our employees, community and Tribal members, except for essential staff. Evacuation levels will continue to be evaluated daily, and updates will be shared as soon as new information becomes available.
I want to assure our Tribal membership that our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our Nation. We remain committed to protecting lives, property, and our lands. We will continue working closely with emergency responders, Incident Command, and or local, state, and federal partners as we navigate this crisis together.
I ask everyone to continue following evacuation orders, remain vigilant, and keep our firefighters, first responders, emergency personnel, and all those affected in your prayers. Together we will support one another as we move through this emergency.