A Slew of Crowdfunding Campaigns Has Launched in the Wake of the Southern Oregon Bootleg Fire

The names of the GoFundMe campaigns underscore the devastation so far.

Bootleg Fire IMAGE: National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
By Matthew Singer

As the Bootleg Fire consumes tens of thousands of acres in Southern Oregon, mandatory evacuations are accompanied by their dystopian twin: pleas for crowdfunding by people who are losing their homes to flame.

As of Monday, the wildfire, which originated in Fremont-Winema National Forest in Klamath Falls last week, has burned 150,000 acres and prompted evacuations in several areas. It doubled in size over the weekend, exacerbated by months of “persistent drought and dry conditions,” according to an incident report from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

The names of the GoFundMe campaigns underscore the devastation so far: “Jeff Whited Lost Everything,” “Help Frank Rebuild From Wildfire,” “Help support Wanda and Ron after losing their home.”

“The Bootleg fire tore through my grandmothers property. Destroying many structures she worked so hard to build,” reads one page titled “My grandmother is a Bootleg fire victim.” “We lost 142 acres to this fire along with many memories.”

Below is a short list of campaigns provided by GoFundMe:

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