NPR News, Classical and Music of the Delta
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Oregon Governor On Heat-Related Deaths And Planning For Drought, Wildfires

Portland residents fill a cooling center with a capacity of about 300 people at the Oregon Convention Center June 27, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. Record breaking temperatures lingered over the Northwest during a historic heatwave over the weekend. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Portland residents fill a cooling center with a capacity of about 300 people at the Oregon Convention Center June 27, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. Record breaking temperatures lingered over the Northwest during a historic heatwave over the weekend. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

At least 79 deaths have now been tied to the record heat wave that hit Oregon earlier this week with temperatures as high as 117 degrees. These conditions, paired with the drought across the West, can be a dangerous combination for wildfires.

President Biden held a meeting with a group of Western state governors to discuss how best to prepare for the months ahead.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who was part of the meeting.

Watch on YouTube.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.