By Rebecca Marshall

It’s July 27, 2026, at 8 o’clock in the morning. Across central and eastern Oregon, over 150 people are waking up to the smell of wildfire smoke in the air and the uncertainty of whether their homes are still standing.  These people have sought refuge in an American Red Cross shelter, one of six shelters open across the state including Pendleton, Maupin, Madras, Sisters, Prineville, and Crane. That number evolves by the day, and sometimes by the hour.

Behind all these numbers are human faces with personal stories. They are scared, anxious, and are not sure what to do with themselves as they wait for word from the firefighters and emergency managers who are working so hard to extinguish these fires.

Those firefighters have their work cut out for them. Already, Oregon has seen over a million acres burn this wildfire season and these fires continue to rage across the state.

Inside the Red Cross shelter in the town of Sisters, is an elderly couple named Darold and Marylee Dilley. They sit patiently with their dog Angel (who isn’t always an angel when you get too close to her parents).

“We built our house in 1979. We framed it, plumbed it, and wired it. We took out a veterans loan to get it finished and pay off the property which is 11 acres. This is the first time we’ve had to be evacuated,” says Marylee.

It happened fast. The Dilley’s were loading up, because they thought they were in a level 2—Be Set—evacuation.  That’s when three men from search and rescue came to their house and told them they had to leave now. They quickly finished packing and came straight to the Red Cross shelter a few miles away.

Shelter workers set up cots for them at Sisters High School and provided them with a warm meal. It was something they needed because, even though their friends evacuated in campers and RV’s, the Dilley’s just had their car.

“We knew the Red Cross did this kind of work but thought it was always for somebody else,” says Marylee through nervous laughter, “I’ve donated money to the Red Cross once in a while but it’s a different situation when you’re involved instead of just hearing about it.”

A short time later, the Governor of Oregon, Tina Kotek, paid a visit to the shelter. She listened attentively to Marylee as she shared her fears and concerns. The two talked privately for several minutes before the governor continued her tour of the shelter.

For the Dilley’s it was back to waiting to see what the fire would do and how long they’d have to be away from their home, or if they’d have a home to return to.

Fighting back tears, Marylee says, “The hardest part is not knowing what’s going on with our house. We are up in age. 82 and 92. How you gonna start over again?”

If you need Red Cross assistance, you can go to RedCross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) or download our free emergency app to stay on top of evolving disasters.