PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — What if Portland had an urban wildfire on the same level as the Eaton Fire that devastated Los Angeles last year? One wildfire expert is warning that the Rose City may be ill-equipped to handle such a disaster.
Robert McCullough is an energy consulting expert and principal of McCollough Research. He specializes in examining how laws, economics and institutions shape outcomes for wildfires.
Recently, McCullough created an analysis of what it would be like if Portland had an urban wildfire on the same level as the Eaton Fire, which destroyed 9,000 structures and killed at least 17 people in the Altadena community of California in January of 2025…