Fewer fires in Oregon this year, state still has too few firefighters

Oregon is likely to see fewer large wildfires this summer than in years past, but a lack of rural housing combined with unstable and often low wages continue to create workforce challenges for firefighters across the state and region.

That was a big part of the message from state and federal fire and emergency response officials as they discussed forecasts for this year’s wildfire and what they need at a Monday meeting at the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. The Portland-based center is part of a larger wildfire prevention and response network that includes nine state and federal agencies.

Specifically, they said they need greater investment in technology — including satellite detection — along with sustained pay increases for wildland firefighters and stable housing options. Jeff Fedrizzi, a state fire management officer for the federal Bureau of Land Management, said many wildland firefighters live on the job, using their cars.

“We have people living on the back of their platforms. They go to work, they put out fires, they camp for two weeks, and then they come back and set up camp,” Sen told American. Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Republican Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, who hosted the meeting. All three are Democrats.

Fire season in the Northwest can last from May to October, but typically fire season is at its most intense from July to September. During this time, firefighters may end up tackling several large fires at once, which strains resources as officials share and coordinate equipment and manpower.

This year, the U.S. Forest Service is hiring about 80% of its needed firefighters in Oregon and Washington, with 20% of the positions unfilled, according to Ed Hiatt, deputy director of operations for the service’s regional office. He said this has been the case for about six years, despite a recent pay bonus.

Federizzi and officials with the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Oregon State Fire Marshal and the U.S. Forest Service praised the additional $20,000 raises many wildland firefighters received in 2021 under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but said that the salary supplement must be permanent and salary scales need to be updated. The additional cash is only approved until September this year while agencies wait to finalize the new pay scales.

Wyden, Merkley and Bonamici pledged to ensure firefighter pay continues to increase and voted for bills investing in rural and wilderness firefighter housing.

Summer conditions

Due to a wet El Niño winter, much of the state has had cooler-than-normal temperatures over the past three months compared to the 30-year average, according to Jon Bonk, a meteorologist with the Northwest Interagency Cooperative Center. Forecasters expect above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall in Central Oregon and east of the Cascades in September. They also stated that a La Niña weather system will move over the state between mid-July and September, causing warmer and drier conditions, mainly affecting eastern Oregon and Washington.

Investing in detection

The number of wildfire detection cameras in the state has increased, and Oregon will likely overtake Nevada as the state with the second-most cameras in the U.S., officials say.

Utilities are also installing their own cameras, according to Chris Cline, chief of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s fire protection division. According to Cline, the department is deploying a new night vision helicopter to the Medford area. This was a solution that had been done before in California, but it was new to Oregon.

Still, federal agencies need more money to connect with state and local agencies and share data, said Mariana Ruiz-Temple, the state fire marshal, who advocated for investment in a wildfire fusion center that can bring together all interested parties.

Hiatt told lawmakers that inflation is raising the cost of much of the equipment they need.

“We can’t keep up with rising costs,” he said. According to Hiatt, some parts needed for fire trucks cannot be delivered for several years. “When you pay that bill, it costs 50% more than when we originally placed the order. We spend a lot of our preparation budget just on equipment.”

Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle