Fire Season Now Active Across Oregon
The statewide declaration comes as regional agencies raise fire danger levels, restrictions and preparedness messaging.
SALEM, Ore. — Every Oregon Department of Forestry district is now in fire season, bringing seasonal fire-prevention rules into effect across Oregon as agencies throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California report rising fire danger.
ODF announced Monday that all districts are now in fire season. Fire season declarations are made locally when conditions reach the point where fires are more likely to start and spread.
“Looking at the current conditions and projections for the summer, ODF is prepared to have another busy fire season,” said Michael Curran, ODF Fire Protection Division Chief. “Oregonians need to be practicing wildfire prevention and emergency preparedness NOW.”
ODF protects more than 16 million acres of private, county, state and federal land in Oregon. This year, the Central Oregon District was the first to enter fire season on May 8. The Northwest Oregon Area was the final ODF area to declare fire season on June 15.
For HWD Firewatch readers, the statewide declaration also comes as local, state and federal fire agencies across the region move into tighter restrictions or remind residents that restrictions may differ by jurisdiction.
Regional Fire Status Snapshot
| Agency or Jurisdiction | Current Status |
|---|---|
| National Interagency Fire Center | National Preparedness Level 2. |
| Northwest Geographic Area | Preparedness Level 1. |
| Northern California Geographic Area | Preparedness Level 2. |
| Oregon Department of Forestry | All ODF districts are now in fire season. |
| ODF Southwest Oregon District | Moderate fire danger remains in place through Tuesday. High fire danger and IFPL 2 begin Wednesday, June 17, at 12:01 a.m. on ODF-protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. |
| South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership | Fire danger increases to High, yellow, and IFPL rises to Level II beginning Thursday, June 18, at 12:01 a.m. The increase applies to all public, private, state and federal lands within the SCOFMP area. Public-use restrictions include campfires only in designated campgrounds, limits on smoking and internal combustion engines, and no welding, open-flame torches, fireworks or explosives on federal lands. IFPL II restrictions prohibit woodcutting and equipment operations from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a one-hour fire watch required after operations stop. |
| BLM Lakeview District / Klamath River Canyon | A fire prevention order remains in place for BLM lands within one-half mile of the Klamath River from Keno Dam to the Oregon-California border. |
| BLM Medford District Lands in Jackson and Josephine Counties | Included in the ODF Southwest Oregon District fire-danger change for protected lands. Check BLM and ODF restrictions before recreating. |
| CAL FIRE Modoc County | Residential burning requires a permit in State Responsibility Areas. Check CAL FIRE and local air district burn-day status before burning. |
| CAL FIRE Siskiyou County | Residential burn permits are suspended in State Responsibility Areas effective June 15. |
| Chiloquin Fire & Rescue | Check local district guidance before burning. Outdoor permits may be required during burn season and restrictions can change quickly. |
| Grants Pass Fire Rescue | Fire danger inside the City of Grants Pass will increase to High, yellow, on Wednesday, June 17, at 12:01 a.m. The main change moves the shutdown time for power-driven machinery from 1 p.m. to 10 a.m. |
| Jackson County Fire District 3 | Following ODF Southwest Oregon District fire-season restrictions. |
| Jackson County Fire District 4 | Following ODF Southwest Oregon District fire-season restrictions. |
| Jackson County Fire District 5 | Check district and ODF Southwest Oregon restrictions. ODF-protected lands in the area move to High on Wednesday. |
| Keno Fire District | Fire season is in effect. No open burning is allowed in the district. |
| Klamath County Fire District 1 | Open-burning closure remains in effect inside KCFD1 boundaries, including Klamath Falls and surrounding suburban and rural areas. |
| Klamath County Fire District 4 | Check district guidance and regional SCOFMP / Klamath County fire-danger information before burning or using spark-producing equipment. |
| Medford Fire-Rescue / Medford Rural Fire Protection District 2 | Check city and district rules, along with ODF Southwest Oregon restrictions for nearby protected lands. |
| Rocky Point Fire & EMS Area | Check local district guidance and Klamath County / SCOFMP fire information before burning or using spark-producing equipment. |
| Rural Metro Fire Josephine County / Mid Rogue Fire District Areas | Open burning is prohibited during fire season. Residents should follow ODF Southwest Oregon and local burn-line guidance. |
Are you an official representative of one of these agencies? If a status listed here is incorrect or has changed, please let us know so HWD Firewatch can review and update the table.
What the preparedness levels mean
National and geographic preparedness levels are different from local fire-danger ratings.
Preparedness levels are used by interagency fire managers to track wildfire activity, resource demand and the availability of firefighters, aircraft and equipment. A national Preparedness Level 2 means fire activity is increasing in some areas, but national resources remain generally stable.
Local fire-danger levels, such as Low, Moderate, High and Extreme, are used to guide public restrictions and wildfire-prevention rules in specific places. Those levels can change by district, county, city, forest, campground or land manager.
That means a person may legally be under one set of rules inside a city, a different set on nearby ODF-protected land, and another set on federal land. When in doubt, use the stricter rule and check before you go.
Prevention reminders
ODF is urging residents and visitors to brush up on wildfire prevention now.
Campfires may be banned or limited to approved campgrounds. Backyard debris burning may require a permit or may be prohibited completely. Anyone who burned debris earlier in the spring should check the burn site again to make sure heat has not caused material to reignite.
Private use of fireworks is not allowed on forest land, including private lands protected by ODF and other state and federal forest lands in Oregon. Local city and county fireworks rules may also apply.
Other basic prevention steps include making sure campfires are fully out and cool to the touch, not tossing cigarettes on the ground, avoiding parking or idling vehicles over dry grass, and making sure tow chains are not dragging and throwing sparks.
“Prevention is our number one tool to reduce property loss, firefighting costs, and risk to the lives of our firefighters,” Curran said. “We can’t prevent lightning fires, but we can prevent human-caused fires.”
HWD Firewatch Editor’s Note
HWD Firewatch encourages residents across Southern Oregon and Northern California to treat fire-season preparedness as a baseline, even when no fire is nearby and no evacuation notice is in place.
That means knowing your evacuation routes, having a plan for pets and livestock, keeping important documents and medications ready, signing up for emergency alerts, and staying aware of changing restrictions.
During fire season, it is best practice to live at a personal Level 1 “Be Ready” posture before an official evacuation notice is ever issued.
Cover image: High fire danger messages are appearing across Oregon as all ODF districts enter fire season and regional agencies begin tightening restrictions. Photo illustration by HiveWire Daily.
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