Another summer heat wave forecast to hit Central Oregon this week prompted a rapid response among government agencies and local service providers Tuesday.

Cooling centers are being set up across the region for people vulnerable to the heat, and Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency across Oregon between Tuesday and Aug 20 due to the weather forecast. The declaration ensures additional resources will be made available for heat-related emergencies, according to a press release.

Temperatures are expected to be near triple digits on Wednesday and last through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a heat advisory for 1 p.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Saturday. Extreme heat is forecast throughout Oregon.

Thursday is anticipated to be the hottest day. The forecast calls for Bend to reach 97 degrees, Redmond 101 degrees and Madras 103 degrees.

It will be the third heat wave to scorch the region this summer.

The memory of June’s fatal, record-breaking heat wave, which killed at least 96 people according to state records, likely played a role in the quick response to news of extreme heat this week.

Minimizing heat-related hospitalizations is also a major concern as COVID-19 patients continue to overwhelm Oregon’s hospitals.

Temperatures won’t be record breaking in Central Oregon like in June, when Bend hit 109 degrees, but the heat is still cause for concern: U.S. Forest Service officials are worried about the impact on an already dire wildfire season.

Extreme fire risk

According to Jean Nelson-Dean, spokesperson for the Deschutes National Forest, Central Oregon is in the midst of an unrelenting wildfire season. The upcoming heat wave has the potential to make a bad situation worse.

“With this heat wave and already bad conditions, areas will continue to become more and more flammable,” Nelson-Dean said.

Firefighters across the region are already working at full capacity and using the bulk of their resources to contain a record-breaking number of small fire starts, Nelson-Dean said.

Many of those fire starts were ignited by lightning, a common source of fires in Central Oregon. But with the heat wave, Nelson-Dean said it’s more important than ever for people to be diligent about fire safety. Any more fire starts could stretch fire resources dangerously thin.

“We are extremely fortunate that firefighters have been able to keep fire starts small,” she said. “It is everyone’s responsibility to not cause human starts. The more that we can keep our firefighters safe and rested, the better they can address small fires and keep the community safe.”

According to Colby Goatley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Pendleton, wildfire smoke might play a role in Central Oregon’s slightly lower expected temperatures this week compared to other areas in Oregon.

Cooling centers and other resources

In June, local service providers scrambled to set up cooling centers for Central Oregon’s homeless and others seeking refuge. The experience means providers are now able to set them up quickly and efficiently.

Tony Mitchell, executive director for the Jefferson County Faith Based Network, helped create a cooling center at the Madras Free Methodist Church in June that will be open from noon to 5 p.m. between Wednesday and Saturday this week.

“Our priority is to get our unhoused friends into a safe place, and to get them a meal, hydration and some socialization. But anyone is welcome to use the cooling center,” Mitchell said.

In Bend, a cooling center might be available at Shepherd’s House Ministries, an organization that also created a center in June.

According to David Notari, development director of Shepherd’s House Ministries, organizers will be monitoring the situation and will open the cooling center if there proves to be a need.

“There is a high likelihood we will open up on the hottest days,” Notari said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will make a decision soon.”

Lindsey Stailing, a member of the Homeless Leadership Coalition, said Mountainview Fellowship in Redmond will operate a cooling center from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Jon Riggs, a homeless outreach worker with the Street Kitchen Collective, said volunteers are working to establish and staff cooling tents at multiple homeless camps throughout the region, including one at 17th and Greenwood in Redmond and one at Hunnell Road in Bend.

A system was again established by volunteers during June’s heat wave, when volunteers with multiple community organizations set up cooling tents at the camp on Hunnell Road and requested donations on social media.

The Hunnell Road tent has been in continuous operation ever since.

Volunteers can sign up for shifts using an online sign-up sheet to ensure that the tent is always staffed with at least one volunteer to accept and distribute donations. Additionally, a list of necessary donations is updated regularly on Facebook groups such as Pandemic Partners and the Central Oregon Peacekeepers.

The list of items are suggestions. Donations are always welcome, Riggs said.

“The one gallon jugs of water are more ideal than bottles, and ice is a big thing,” Riggs said. “If people decide to bring Popsicles, we ask that they bring Otter Pops so if they melt they don’t get all over the place.”

St. Charles Health System does not have any plans to add more caregivers in anticipation of the heat wave, hospital spokeswoman Lisa Goodman said Tuesday.

“While higher temperatures will typically lead to some additional visits to our Emergency Department, those numbers are oftentimes offset by a fewer number of trauma cases since, for some people, it’s too hot to recreate,” Goodman said.