The fire is out. The harder work is just beginning.

Three weeks after the Bench Fire scorched more than 67,000 acres on and near the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) are deep in recovery mode. Containment reached near-total levels by early August, with InciWeb issuing a final update on the fire on August 9. But for tribal members and Warm Springs community residents, the recovery arc stretches far into the future.

Recovery Fund Exceeds Goal

In a sign of the community support that poured in from across Oregon and the nation, the CTWS Wildfire Recovery Fund raised $324,095 -- surpassing its original $250,000 goal by 30%. Tribal leaders posted on Facebook to express gratitude while making clear the need is not over.

"Your generosity after the Bench and Beachcomb Fires has helped care for families, elders, children, and neighbors. Because of that outpouring, our immediate supply needs are met, and storage areas are full. But the work ahead is bigger than this moment. Recovery will take months and years, and every gift helps our people rebuild with care, dignity, and hope." -- CTWS leadership, via Facebook

Tribal leaders noted that while immediate supply donations are no longer needed due to full storage capacity, financial contributions to the recovery fund continue to be accepted and will support long-term rebuilding efforts.

Water Service Restored

One major milestone came mid-August when the CTWS Public Utilities Department announced the end of a boil-water notice that had been in effect since the fire damaged infrastructure in late July. The PUD also lifted an accompanying water conservation order, signaling that critical systems are coming back online.

At the height of the Bench Fire, thousands of Warm Springs residents were without power or clean water for nearly a week -- a period OPB described as one of the most challenging infrastructure crises the reservation has faced in recent memory.

Structural Firefighters Return Home

Oregon State Fire Marshal structural firefighting resources, deployed to protect homes and buildings on the reservation during the fire, have completed their mission and returned to their home agencies or been reassigned to other Oregon fires. The transition marks a formal end to the emergency suppression phase.

What Comes Next

Recovery work now shifts to debris removal, infrastructure repair, range and habitat rehabilitation, and -- perhaps most importantly -- the long process of helping families whose homes were damaged or destroyed rebuild their lives. Tribal programs, federal Indian Health Service resources, and nonprofit partners are expected to play key roles in that effort.

Jefferson County residents wishing to support can donate to the CTWS Wildfire Recovery Fund through the Zeffy platform online. The tribes ask that in-kind donations be coordinated through tribal offices before sending goods, as current storage capacity is at its limit.

For ongoing updates from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, follow their official Facebook page or visit warmsprings-nsn.gov.