Governor, Oregon officials hold wildfire briefing, expect average early season, above-average later in Eastern Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Office of Governor Tina Kotek and state agency leaders who manage wildfires and conflagrations provided a briefing Wednesday as the 2024 wildfire season approaches, including steps Oregonians should take to prepare.

“Wildfires will forever impact our state and our nation. The threats will continue to grow as we grapple with hotter, drier conditions due to climate change,” Governor Kotek said. “Here in Oregon, we are prioritizing readiness, coordination, wildfire risk mitigation, and a comprehensive, statewide approach to protecting our natural working lands and communities. The best way to limit the impacts of wildfires is to be careful and keep them from starting in the first place.”

Governor Kotek’s Office was joined by Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Director Cal Mukumoto, Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Mariana Ruiz-Temple, Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) Director Erin McMahon, Adjutant General of the Oregon National Guard Alan Gronewold, Public Utility Commission (PUC) Executive Director Michael Grant, Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director Leah Feldon, and Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) Director Ed Flick.

The assembled group briefed members of the press on what subject matter experts anticipate in the 2024 fire season.

Conditions are indicating an average fire season for May and June, but above-average for July and August in the far northeastern and southeastern parts of the state.

Oregon received a considerable amount of moisture throughout the winter and our state has benefitted from a strong snowpack. Drought intensity across the state is less than it was this time last year, though some regions continue to experience persistent drought.

We are most likely to see more complex and challenging wildfire conditions in the later summer months, when conditions are hotter and drier with a higher likelihood of wind events. 

Oregon experiences just over 2,000 fires annually with over 600,000 acres burned on an annual basis. Early detection and aggressive initial attack are the cornerstones to effective response and protection of Oregonians and our state’s natural resources. The state's fire protection system is administered through two primary agencies, ODF and OSFM, who coordinate closely with federal partners, sovereign Tribal nations, state and local partners, landowners and the contract firefighting community.

ODF is charged with wildfire protection on 16 million acres across Oregon and is responsible for the state’s complete and coordinated wildfire protection system. ODF relies on more than 700 permanent and seasonal firefighters to staff over 300 engines, operate heavy equipment and serve on fire crews. Additionally, ODF provides firefighting aviation assets and partners with the Oregon Military Department for additional firefighting and aviation resources. 

OSFM is charged with administering Oregon’s Fire Mutual Aid System, which partners with Oregon’s 304 local fire Agencies to provide fire protection across the state, including staffing structural fire protection task forces during conflagrations that threaten Oregon’s communities.

This summer, Oregon’s local fire Agencies will have modernized equipment through OSFM's engine program. New fire engines began arriving in early 2024. More are expected through the summer. This new equipment, paired with grants to increase firefighting staff through October, positions Oregon in a great spot to protect our communities from wildfire. 

Agencies are applying lessons learned from 2023, including technological efficiencies, expanding our monitoring network coverage for better localized forecasting, streamlined smoke coordination calls, and simplified templates for air quality advisories.  

Over the fall and winter months, funding from the OSFM’s Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Unit increased wildfire resiliency at the local level. The OSFM, ODF, and the Oregon fire service have conducted more than 1,285 defensible space assessments, which gives homes and communities added protection against wildfire.