SALEM — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is warning residents to prepare for what forecasters describe as an early, prolonged, and potentially severe 2026 wildfire season, driven by historic warmth, below-normal snowpack, and expanding drought conditions across the Pacific Northwest.
"It's not one thing that brings the wildfire season, it's many things," Kotek said at a May 5 news conference alongside state fire officials. "All indications suggest a more challenging fire season ahead of all of us."
Season Already Underway
The 2026 fire season began unusually early. A Level 3 evacuation order — requiring immediate departure — was issued for a fire near La Pine in March, months ahead of the typical summer fire window. That fire burned roughly 20 acres before being contained, but it signaled what fire officials fear is a trend: the traditional shoulder season is shrinking.
Oregon's winter was among the warmest on record, and snowpack across the Northwest sat at just one-third of normal levels this spring, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. With rivers and soils failing to recharge, vegetative fuels are drying out weeks ahead of schedule.
What the Forecasts Show
The National Interagency Fire Center's May 2026 seasonal outlook projects above-normal fire potential east of the Cascades in Oregon's rangeland areas beginning in June, with above-normal risk spreading southwest of the Cascades and into forests by July. The agency flagged precipitation across the Northwest and Northern Rockies is likely to remain below normal through the peak summer months of July and August.
Oregon State Forester Kacey KC said the convergence of low snowpack, early warm temperatures, and forecast drought creates a scenario where fires could ignite earlier, grow faster, and persist longer than in recent years.
State Resources on Standby
Oregon fire agencies have mobilized approximately 700 wildland firefighters and 300 fire trucks to protect 16 million Oregon acres during the season. Those resources will work alongside more than 300 local fire departments and federal and tribal partners.
"We are ready, we are coordinated, and we are all hands on deck as we prepare for the season," Kotek said.
Human-Caused Fires a Concern
Despite a relatively successful 2025 season — aided in part by major legislative investments in the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Office of the State Fire Marshal — officials are concerned about a troubling uptick in human-caused ignitions. More than 60% of Oregon wildfires in 2025 were started by people, with burning yard waste and debris cited as the leading cause.
Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple urged residents to exercise extreme caution with any outdoor burning this spring and summer, particularly given this year's heightened fire conditions.
Residents can check current fire risk levels and sign up for emergency alerts through Oregon's official wildfire portal at wildfire.oregon.gov.