As we approach another wildfire season, let’s talk about fires and what we can do to help prevent them.
Let’s start with the facts. Last year, Oregon suffered a record-breaking wildfire season –more than 1.9 million acres burned. That’s 3,000 square miles, or about a quarter million acres larger than all of Lane County.
The financial toll is staggering. The Oregon Department of Forestry spent $318 million in 2024 fighting fires. Even after federal reimbursements, state taxpayers were still on the hook for $132 million.
This does not include other costs to public health, safety, homes, infrastructure, private property, and those that depend on healthy forests and lands for their jobs and businesses.
A 2024 study found that 50,000 people died prematurely in California over the last decade due to exposure to toxic particles in wildfire smoke. Healthcare costs associated with wildfire smoke exposure in California increased by $432 billion over the same period. Oregon is on the same dangerous path.
Wildfires pollute our air, contaminate our drinking water and soil, threaten wildlife populations and habitat, release massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and close down our favorite forest roads, hiking trails, and recreational destinations. They also wipe out the timber we need to build affordable housing.
Let’s do something about it
More than 2,000 separate fires started last year, 70% caused by human activity. The number one cause of fires in Oregon is debris burning, equipment use, and campfires.
We need to take personal responsibility and hold each other accountable to ensure we are not the cause of wildfires. Education is key – knowing what to do before, during, and after a fire starts can significantly reduce its impact on our communities and forests.
There are great public resources to help. Visit Keep Oregon Green (KOG) to learn what you can and should do to reduce human-caused wildfires.
The Oregon Wildfire Response and Recovery website offers information about current forest conditions, campfire restrictions, helpful prevention and burning tips, emergency alerts, and resources for individuals and communities.
The public should be familiar with and use Inciweb.wildfire.gov, which tracks wildfires throughout the state and provides real-time updates, information, and public safety contacts for every fire.
On State and Federal lands, Oregon should follow Washington state’s lead in preparing and investing for the future – especially as federal wildfire budgets and staffing face uncertainty.
After the Labor Day fires, Washington tripled its aviation resources and changed its firefighting contracts from “call-when-needed” to “exclusive use.” This gave the state full control over when and where aircraft are deployed, with many pre-positioned at local airstrips near the most fire-prone areas so they could respond to a fire within 15-30 minutes of smoke reports.
Washington also unanimously passed a $500 million investment in wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The results are paying off. Washington and Oregon had roughly the same number of fire starts in 2024 and experienced similar conditions and weather. Oregon lost 1.9 million acres. Washington lost 300,000 acres.
Most of Oregon’s megafires – those over 100,000 acres – start and spread on federal lands. To reduce this risk, the federal government must take three critical steps.
Three important steps
First, reinstate the “10 a.m.” policy, a former national directive mandating the Forest Service and BLM to extinguish all fires by 10 a.m. the day after detection.
The safest fire is one that is small and extinguished quickly. The Federal government no longer implements this policy. Often times, wildfires on Federal lands are “managed” to achieve resource “benefits.” Fire can be an important management tool, but not in the summer.
Second, the federal government should allow neighboring landowners, loggers, truck drivers, equipment operators, and other contractors working in the woods to suppress wildfires on public lands. If someone has the equipment and opportunity to stop a fire, they should be empowered to act. It’s common sense – and it saves time, money, and acres. But, due to red tape, that’s not common practice on federal lands.
Finally, the federal government must clean up and restore its fire-damaged forests and roads. Currently, only 2–5% of dead timber is salvaged after wildfires leaving dangerous fuel loads behind. Hazard trees block roads and create serious risks for firefighters and recreationists alike. Recovery efforts must start sooner, not years later.
Wildfires will be part of Oregon’s future. But we are not powerless. Together, we can find solutions that reduce risks, strengthen our communities, and protect the forests we love. Let’s act now by doing our part to minimize human-caused wildfires, and demanding change to our current policies and approaches to wildfire. These issues are being debated and decided in Washington, D.C. and Salem right now. Contact your elected officials and share your views and ideas.
Travis Joseph is a Springfield resident and the president and CEO of the American Forest Resource Council. He contributes to The Chronicle on timber industry policies. Write to him at: [email protected]
