The Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is urging all Oregonians to develop or revisit their family wildfire evacuation plans as the state's 2026 fire season gets underway earlier than usual. With multiple counties having already declared fire season, drought emergencies, and burn bans, officials say the window to prepare before an emergency strikes is narrowing fast.

Fire Season Has Arrived Early

Wildfire season in Oregon typically begins in mid-May, but conditions in 2026 have pushed fire risk to the forefront even earlier in many parts of the state. Southern Oregon's Jackson and Josephine counties initiated fire season restrictions in May 2026. The Frontage Fire near Huntington in Baker County — which burned more than 1,500 acres and prompted Level 3 evacuation orders in early June — underscored that eastern Oregon is already in active fire season.

The Oregon Department of Forestry is tracking dry fuel conditions across its 16 million acres of protected forestland, and early-season fire activity has been above normal. A combination of below-normal winter precipitation, early snowpack melt, and warm spring temperatures has left vegetation across much of the state in an unusually dry state for June.

Know Your Evacuation Level

Oregon uses a three-level evacuation system that residents should understand and be prepared to act on:

  • Level 1 — Be Ready: Be aware of the danger in your area, prepare to evacuate, and monitor information sources. Have your go-bag packed.
  • Level 2 — Be Set: Be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Arrange for pets and livestock. If you need extra time to evacuate, leave now. Those with disabilities or who need assistance should leave at this level.
  • Level 3 — Go Now: Leave immediately. Danger is imminent or fire is already in your area. Do not stop to gather belongings. Use your designated escape routes.

Evacuation orders and notices for Oregon are coordinated through local county sheriff's offices and published at OregonEmergencyAlerts.com.

Building Your Family Evacuation Plan

OEM recommends that all Oregon households — particularly those in fire-prone rural and wildland-urban interface areas — develop a written evacuation plan that addresses:

  • Who will be at home, work, or school when a fire threatens, and how to reach each other
  • At least two escape routes from your neighborhood (primary and alternate)
  • A pre-designated out-of-area meeting point
  • Plans for pets, livestock, and large animals
  • Identification of household members who may need extra assistance
  • A go-bag with at least 72 hours of medications, documents, water, food, and cash

Additional Preparedness Steps

Beyond the evacuation plan itself, the OEM recommends that residents take these steps before fire season peaks:

  • Sign up for your county's emergency alert system to receive evacuation notifications by phone, text, or email
  • Create defensible space by clearing flammable vegetation at least 30 feet from your home
  • Review your homeowner's insurance policy to ensure adequate coverage for fire losses
  • Download the Ready.gov app and review the Wildfire section
  • Check Oregon's statewide fire restriction map at oregon.gov/odf before any outdoor burning

More preparedness resources are available at Oregon.gov/OEM and through the National Fire Protection Association's Firewise USA program, which helps communities reduce their collective wildfire risk.