Fire

What does fire season mean?

When conditions become such that wildfires have the potential to start and spread from lightning or human activities, the State Forester, by law, declares fire season to be in effect. Because conditions vary across the state, fire season is declared at the local level when conditions warrant. For example, southern Oregon traditionally declares fire season much earlier than northwest Oregon.

Fire season for the general public

Some public fire prone activities become restricted or prohibited entirely when fire season goes into effect. One such activity is outdoor debris burning. Debris burning either requires a permit or is prohibited altogether at the local ODF district level. Visit beforeyouburn.net to learn if burning is allowed in your area and steps to take to be in compliance with the law.

Other public activities like campfires, off-road driving, chain saws, the use of fireworks and mowing dry grass are regulated through additional public use restrictions.

Incident Management Teams

ODF Incident Management Teams’ Commitment to Oregon news release

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To report a wildfire, call 9-1-1

Fire season for forest workers

Working in Oregon's forests inherently comes with the risk of fire. Besides being proactive with fire prevention measures, forest operators must comply with fire season requirements and restrictions.

Learn more about fire season regulations for the public or forest operations.

About the Fire Protection Program

As Oregon’s largest fire department, ODF's Fire Protection Program protects 16 million acres of forest, a $60 billion asset. These lands consist of privately owned forests as well as some public lands, including state-owned forests and, by contract, US Bureau of Land Management forests in western Oregon. ODF is also part of an extensive fire protection network that includes landowner resources, contract crews and aircraft, adults in custody crews, and agreements with public agencies across Oregon, the US, and British Columbia.

ODF's firefighting policy is straightforward: Put out fires quickly at the smallest possible size. Most of the lands protected by the agency are working forests that produce revenue and support jobs. It is crucial to prevent fire damage to the timber resource that is an essential element of Oregon’s economy. This aggressive approach to firefighting also safeguards ecosystem values such as fish and wildlife habitats.

Fire funding

ODF's wildfire budget is complex, reflecting the diversity of the forest resource and its ownership. Multiple sources fund the work of ODF’s Fire Protection Division that include fire prevention and education as well as firefighting.

House Bill (HB) 3940 (2025) made significant changes to how Oregon funds wildfire mitigation and response.