Wildfire

The Oregon Department of Forestry report comes five years after the 2020 fire, as PacifiCorp pushes for legislation that would limit utilities' wildfire liabilities.

House Bill 3940 is a mash of options proposed by a wildfire funding work group that looked into the challenges of paying to mitigate, suppress and fight fires.

The governor has proposed spending climate bond money dedicated to wildfire mitigation in various ways. Some lawmakers think a focused strategy would be more effective.

The termination letters that ended the careers of thousands of U.S. Forest Service employees mean fewer people and less resources will be available to help prevent and fight wildfires, raising the specter of even more destructive blazes across the American West, fired workers and officials said.

Northwest researchers find Medford, Grants Pass and Bend had the most wildfire smoke from 2019-2023.

Kotek directed the state forestry department to pause any further action based on the map until the Legislature decides to keep, update or repeal it.

In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, State Farm asked for an “emergency” premium increase of 22% on average for California homeowners. Lara today denied the request pending more information.

After saying it would run out of funds by March, California’s last-resort fire insurance provider will impose a special charge of $1 billion on homeowners and insurance companies, the first such move in more than three decades.

In some areas, hazards have surged. Buildings in the highest hazard zones will be subject to the strictest fire-resiliency rules.

The Ashland lawmaker wants the map to designate the risk level of broad areas rather than naming the risk of individual properties.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday approved $25 million for anticipated legal challenges against the Trump administration, positioning California to once again lead the resistance to the MAGA movement — just as the state is seeking federal assistance for the Los Angeles region’s recovery from devastating fires.

Curry County is considering taking over management of federal forests within its borders by applying a novel legal strategy used by a county in Arizona.