That was the message from Gov. Tina Kotek during a press conference on Wednesday.
While parts of the state benefited from decent snowpack and rainfall this winter, Kotek said, that could actually make wildfires even worse. More precipitation could mean more grasses, brush and other vegetation that can dry out in the dead of summer, becoming wildfire fuel.
That’s bad news for a state that had one of its worst wildfire seasons on record last year when almost 2 million acres burned, mostly affecting rangeland in Eastern Oregon.
“In summary, we are preparing for what is likely to be even more aggressive and increasingly difficult-to-control wildfire season this year,” Kotek said.
While there may be chilly days ahead this spring, Kotek warned: “Fire season is here.”
“We are already hearing callouts for debris burns on private property that have gotten out of control,” Kotek said. “People need to understand the fire season has begun.”
Last week, the Oregon Department of Forestry announced an uptick in escaped debris burn piles, with multiple fires burning up to 30 acres this spring.
Meanwhile, the federal government has slashed staffing nationwide, including employees who help fight fires on federal lands — which make up over half of Oregon’s land base. Democratic U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Patty Murray, from Oregon and Washington, are convening a conference Thursday to highlight how federal staffing cuts “are seriously undermining wildfire preparedness and response” in the Pacific Northwest.
But during Wednesday’s conference, Kotek didn’t seem too concerned about firefighting resources.
“The consistency across the region, in terms of our partnerships, is solid, and we’re not anticipating any reduction in the staff that are needed at this coming fire season,” Kotek said.
Oregon Department of Forestry’s Deputy Director of Fire Operations, Kyle Williams, chimed in.
“What might not show up on the fire line has still yet to be determined,” Williams said. “But we’re going to be as prepared as possible.”
Williams added that Oregon can still seek firefighting assistance from other states, as well as Canadian provinces that are part of the Northwest Wildland Firefighting Compact.
A reporter at Wednesday’s press conference asked if there was any concern about Canadian firefighters being reluctant to cross the U.S. border, as the Trump administration’s anti-immigration crackdown has scared away many international travelers. Canada has had the biggest tourism drop-off: Trips made from Canada into the U.S. fell by nearly a million in March compared with the same time last year, reports the Toronto Star.
But Oregon officials don’t think that will be an issue.
“It’s business as usual,” Williams said.
Oregon’s forestry department will have around 400 seasonal staff to help fight fires, on top of its 700 permanent staff. That’s about how many people it had on hand last year, Williams said. The department wouldn’t be able to hire many more without legislative approval.
