SPRINGFIELD — “Our summers make it worth it” has served as a beacon of hope for Oregonians in response to triple-digit days of rainfall. But in recent years, the sentiment has left much to be desired in the wake of wildfires throughout the state that have increased in both extremity and length.
On Oct. 16, Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Val Hoyle hosted a press conference at the Willamette National Forest Bureau of Land Management Interagency Office after meeting with federal and state firefighters regarding this year’s devastating wildfire season.
“I don’t have to tell you that the fires hit Oregon bigger, harder, earlier, and are still continuing as we talk this morning,” Wyden said. “This has taken a huge toll on our state.”
Sen. Wyden explained that while there weren’t necessarily more fires this year, their magnitude and burn time had a more significant impact.
To help combat the increasing severity of wildfires in the coming years, Wyden and Hoyle are committing to more prescribed burns during colder months to remove buildup on forest floors and providing permanent increases in firefighters’ wages.
“This fire season started earlier. More acreage was burned. The fires are different; they aren’t stopping. We have to deal with the reality that with hotter, drier climate, with more lightning strikes, we are going to see these types of fire seasons again,” Rep. Hoyle said. “What we need to do is put money upfront, as opposed to writing unlimited checks once the fires burn, and we need to put that into the workforce. So that means permanently increasing our wildland firefighter pay.”
A question was posed regarding where the additional funding would come from to make this possible.
“We’re spending the money. We’re writing a blank check once these forests burn. So, what we need to do, and a better use of tax dollars, would be to take the checks we’re writing after everything’s burning and put it upfront so that we can give these people the tools to do their job, to make sure that we have less debris, that we have more fire breaks, that we’re doing the things we need to do to be able to stop fires once they start.” Rep. Hoyle said. “But the money is there. It’s just a matter of how we spend it. And if we spend the money upfront on prevention and on workforce, then we’re going to be spending, on total, less taxpayer dollars, because we’ll have less, smaller fires.”
Oregonians may feel helpless when confronted with such concerning updates regarding the state of wildfires.
Still, Wyden and Hoyle were adamant that there are steps citizens can take to help mitigate the impact.
Hoyle emphasized the importance of residents removing tree debris around their homes and having a Go Bag, or backpack containing emergency supplies in case of a crisis, fire, or otherwise.
Rep. Hoyle also expressed that utilizing community groups is vital when navigating the threat of a wildfire.
Wyden mirrored the sentiments. “I’ve come to the conclusion that they are our best early warning system.”
