Oregon's congressional delegation left a wildfire season briefing in Portland this month with what they called "deep concerns" about the federal government's capacity to fight what could be a severe fire season in the Pacific Northwest — concerns driven by significant staffing losses and budget cuts at the U.S. Forest Service over the past year.

Briefing at the Coordination Center

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Andrea Salinas, attended an annual wildfire readiness briefing at the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, the operational hub for wildfire prevention and response across nine state and federal agencies in the West.

At a news conference afterward, the lawmakers described a tone at the briefing that was notably different from prior years. "The rhetoric today is very different than it's been in the past," Senator Wyden said. "The White House better wake up and look at the reality and the serious threat that Oregon is looking at."

DOGE Cuts and Forest Service Reorganization

The lawmakers' concerns center on sweeping changes at the U.S. Forest Service — which manages the largest share of federal wildland fire prevention and response — including a headquarters relocation, budget reductions, and the loss of roughly 16 percent of the agency's workforce, largely attributed to cuts carried out under the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency earlier in the year.

Grassroots Wildland Firefighters president Riva Duncan, a former USFS employee, described the internal situation bluntly: "Morale is terrible right now. We lost a lot of folks through DOGE cuts, and more through delayed resignations and early retirements. There's a huge network of support behind the scenes to help the firefighters doing the actual work, and a lot of those folks have left."

A separate NPR report found that delayed federal funding was preventing prescribed burn groups from paying staff and conducting burns during the optimal spring window — compounding long-term fuels management problems.

Agency Response

The Forest Service and Department of Interior have pushed back on the most alarming characterizations, insisting fire readiness has not been compromised. In a statement, the Forest Service said: "The Forest Service's fire readiness and response remain unchanged, and our operational firefighters and aviation resources continue to support wildfire response. Our hiring goal is 11,300 operational firefighters and recruitment and hiring efforts are ongoing. As of early May, we are ahead of schedule for meeting that goal."

The USDA Secretary of Agriculture issued a Wildfire Readiness Memorandum on April 29 directing the Forest Service to heighten readiness, accelerate risk reduction near communities, and strengthen firefighter health and safety for the 2026 fire year.

State Preparations

Oregon State Forester Kacey KC offered a more measured assessment at a separate May briefing, saying the state is preparing for a challenging season but has resources in place. The Oregon Department of Forestry has been coordinating with the Oregon Office of Emergency Management and local counties on pre-positioning resources and updating evacuation planning.

Regardless of the outcome of the policy debate in Washington, D.C., fire officials across the Pacific Northwest are urging the public to not wait for the government to protect them — early preparation at the household level remains the most effective defense when fires move fast.