Oregon Governor Tina Kotek received an all-agencies wildfire briefing in Salem earlier this month and signed a proclamation declaring May 2026 as Wildfire Awareness Month — a step officials say is more urgent this year than any in recent memory.
Experts at the briefing painted a troubling picture: a combination of record-low snowpack, expanding drought, an early El Niño weather pattern, and rising human-caused fire ignitions are converging to make 2026 one of Oregon’s most dangerous fire seasons in years.
Record Conditions Driving Elevated Risk
Oregon’s winter was among the warmest on record statewide. Snowpack across the Pacific Northwest measured approximately one-third of normal levels — a critical deficit, because snowpack provides much of the late-season soil moisture that keeps fuels from becoming critically dry.
“Oregon is facing severe drought conditions, with nine counties already under emergency declarations,” Gov. Kotek said. “Compounding these conditions is our record-setting low snowpack, all of which lend to serious risk for a challenging wildfire season.”
NOAA forecasts above-normal temperatures and below-average precipitation across Oregon through October. Above-normal fire potential is expected east of the Cascades beginning in June, spreading to southwestern Oregon by July.
The season’s severity was underscored by an early-season alarm: In March, a fire near La Pine reached Level 3 (immediate evacuation) status — burning 20 acres. It was Oregon’s first evacuation-level fire of the year, arriving months earlier than typical fire season timelines.
State Resources and Response
Oregon is deploying roughly 700 state wildland firefighters and 300 fire trucks to protect 16 million acres of state-protected forestland this season. More than 300 local fire departments and federal and tribal partners will supplement response capacity under Oregon’s Conflagration Act, which allows rapid mobilization of local resources when major wildfires threaten structures.
The Oregon Department of Forestry, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Department of Emergency Management, Oregon National Guard, and other agencies are coordinating through a unified command structure. The briefing was also attended by representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality — specifically to address anticipated smoke and air quality impacts — and the Department of Human Services for community resilience planning.
Human Causes a Growing Concern
More than 60% of Oregon’s 2025 wildfires were ignited by humans — a troubling reversal after years of declining human-caused ignitions. Burning yard waste and debris remained the top cause. State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple urged Oregonians to check local burn restrictions before igniting anything outdoors and to fully extinguish any fire before leaving it unattended.
Oregon’s congressional Democrats have separately raised concerns that federal wildfire support could be reduced this season in light of federal budget and workforce cuts, adding pressure on state and local agencies to maintain robust independent response capacity.
“We are ready, we are coordinated and we are all-hands-on-deck as we prepare for the season,” Gov. Kotek said. “We also need every Oregonian to do their part, including preventing human-caused fires.”