Wildfire Resources

Oregon wildfires affect hundreds of thousands of Oregonians. Find tools and answers for questions you may have about how these events affect workers and employers.

Oregon state government's hub for all general wildfire-related resources, including county news and alerts, emergency shelter information, and smoke-related information, is online at: wildfire.oregon.gov

Questions for BOLI?

If you’re a worker, please call 971-245-3844 or email BOLI_help@boli.oregon.gov

If you’re an employer, please call 971-361-8400 or email employer.assistance@boli.oregon.gov

If you’re a member of the press, please email media.contact@boli.oregon.gov.

Sick time and other protected leave

Oregon law gives almost all employees access to sick time, including part-time workers. If your employer has 10 or more employees (or 6 or more employees and operations in Portland), sick time is paid time. Even if you work for a smaller employer, sick time is protected, meaning it is unlawful to fire, discipline, or retaliate against an employee for using sick time.

You can use sick time for many reasons. These include illness due to the wildfires or air quality as well as to evacuate in the event of a natural disaster. Sick time is also available when a place of employment closes due to a public health emergency, or when a public official determines that continued exposure to poor air quality or high heat would jeopardize employee health.

Under Oregon law, eligible employees may use Oregon Sick Time and Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) leave when a child's school or childcare provider closes due to a public health emergency, including those caused by wildfire smoke, air quality, or evacuation orders.

Note that during a public health emergency, eligibility for OFLA is accelerated: employees need only have averaged 25 hours per week over the previous 30 days to qualify for OFLA leave. On June 16, 2026, Governor Kotek declared a statewide emergency, recognizing the growing risk to communities across Oregon as a result of wildfires. While the declaration is focused on fire response, it also activates important workplace protections. These protections ensure workers aren’t forced to choose between keeping their jobs and keeping their families safe. The declaration remains in effect through the end of 2026, unless canceled prior to that date by the Governor.

Get help if employer is unable to reopen and can't pay workers for hours worked

If your employer has gone out of business and doesn't have the resources to pay your wages, you may be able to get some or all of what you are owed from Oregon's Wage Security Fund.

You can learn more and complete a claim form here. Due to certain time limits, please file a claim as soon as possible.

You may also qualify for unemployment benefits.

Unemployment benefits

(Please note that the Oregon Employment Department handles these benefits.)

The quickest way to file a claim for unemployment benefits or get help is to use their online services here: https://unemployment.oregon.gov/

Unemployment benefits are available in many circumstances to help Oregonians who are laid off or temporarily out of work.

If you have been laid off or your hours have been cut, you should file your claim with the Oregon Employment Department.

Safety at work

Oregon OSHA manages and regulates workplace safety concerns.

It is the employer's responsibility to evaluate workplace hazards, including respiratory hazards, such as those caused by high heat and poor air quality.

Oregon OSHA offers consultation services, technical expertise, and other resources to help employers assess and address potential workplace hazards associated with wildfire season.

Employees who believe their workplace safety concerns have not been addressed may file a complaint with Oregon OSHA. Complaints may be filed online or by calling the nearest field office.

Learn more or file a complaint with Oregon OSHA.

Disability accommodations

Employers need to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities or health conditions that can qualify as disabilities. Air quality and wildfire smoke may trigger health conditions like asthma or anxiety that are also disabilities.

Potential accommodations that employers can make could include allowing employees to work from home or at an alternate location, or take a period of leave.

Learn more.

For workers

My employer has called me into work – we’re not in an evacuation zone, but I don’t feel comfortable given the current smoke and air quality due to wildfires.

Employees may use any available Oregon sick leave when a public official has determined that the air quality or heat indexes at either the employee’s work location or home are at a level where continued exposure to such levels would jeopardize the health of the employee.

Of course, if air quality causes you to feel sick, you may take any available Oregon sick leave without the need for a determination by a public health official.

Your employer has an obligation to maintain a workplace that is free from direct threats to worker health and safety. It is your employer’s responsibility to evaluate workplace hazards, including respiratory hazards. If you are worried or believe your concerns have not been addressed, you may file a complaint with Oregon OSHA. Complaints may be filed online or by calling the nearest field office.

Wildfire destroyed my employer’s shop. I need my final wages, but they cannot pay them — what can I do?

If your employer has gone out of business and doesn’t have the resources to pay your wages, you may be able to get some or all of what you are owed from Oregon’s Wage Security Fund (WSF). Learn more about the WSF here, or file a claim from our website. You may also qualify for unemployment benefits.

Air quality is a big concern for me because I have asthma – what does my employer need to do?

Air quality may trigger health conditions like asthma, which can be disabilities. Under Oregon disability laws, most employers need to make reasonable accommodations for disabilities. Your employer should discuss what changes might be made to allow you to continue to work. Potential accommodations could include allowing you to work from home or an alternate location, or to take a period of leave.

I had to evacuate my home because of the wildfires - does the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) protect my job?

Evacuating or losing your home is devastating in the extreme. While OFLA was not specifically designed to offer protection in the event of an evacuation, Oregon’s leave laws may help in several ways.

First, if you or your family member suffers a serious health condition, such as asthma triggered by smoke inhalation, Paid Leave Oregon may provide wage replacement benefits and protected time off.

Alternatively, smoke and poor air quality may endanger a pregnant employee’s health or the health of their baby and create a need for pregnancy disability leave under Paid Leave Oregon or OFLA. Employers should carefully consider all requests for leave here, erring on the side of caution

Second, OFLA provides protected leave for employees to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed on account of a public health emergency, which can include wildfires.

Apart from OFLA, employees should know they may use any available Oregon sick leave, which includes leave for an evacuation resulting from a natural disaster/public health emergency.

My employer closed the shop because of an order to evacuate – is that paid time?

Employees eligible for paid sick time (meaning those employed for 90 days or more by employers with 10 or more employees – 6 with an establishment in Portland) have a right to take any unused paid sick leave.

Note that sick time (whether paid or not) is available in the event of a public health emergency, and that includes a closure of the employee’s place of business (or the school or place of care of the employee’s child) by order of a public official.

In addition, salaried exempt employees generally need to receive their full salary for any week they perform work. Although part-week absences may be covered by drawing down available paid time off under an employer's policy, your employer should not reduce your pay for absences occasioned by the operating requirements of the business. If you are ready, willing, and able to work, deductions may not be made for time when work is not available.

Paid time off, such as vacation time, isn’t required by law and is subject to your employer’s policy. That said, if you have paid time off available, your employer ought to allow you to access that time in these circumstances.

For employers

We called employees to work – we’re not in an evacuation zone, but some workers don’t feel comfortable given the current smoke and air quality due to wildfires.

Of course, if air quality causes an employee to feel sick, they may take any available Oregon sick leave without the need for a determination by a public health official.

As the employer, you also have an obligation to maintain a workplace that is free from direct threats to worker health and safety. It is your responsibility to evaluate workplace hazards, including respiratory hazards. You can learn more from Oregon OSHA about wildfires online. Oregon OSHA also offers consultation services, technical expertise, and other resources to help employers assess and address potential workplace hazards associated with wildfire season.

Air quality is a big concern for some workers because they have asthma – what are my responsibilities here?

Of course, if air quality causes an employee to feel sick, they may take available Oregon sick leave without the need for a determination by a public health official.

As an employer, you have an obligation to maintain a workplace that is free from direct threats to worker health and safety. It is your responsibility to evaluate and address workplace hazards, including respiratory hazards. Oregon OSHA offers consultation services, technical expertise, and other resources to help employers assess and address potential workplace hazards associated with wildfire season.

My employee had to evacuate their home because of the wildfires - does the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) apply?

Evacuating or losing a home is devastating. While OFLA was not specifically designed to cover evacuation, Oregon’s leave laws may apply in several ways.

First, if your employee or their family member suffers a serious health condition, such as asthma triggered by smoke inhalation, Paid Leave Oregon may provide wage replacement benefits and protected time off.

Second, OFLA does provide protected leave for employees to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed on account of a public health emergency, which can include wildfires.

Apart from OFLA, employees should know they may use any available Oregon sick leave in the event of an evacuation due to a natural disaster/public health emergency.

I had to close the shop because of an order to evacuate – is that paid time?

Employees eligible for paid sick time (meaning those employed for 90 days or more where you employ 10 or more employees – 6 or more if you have an establishment in Portland) have a right to take any unused paid sick leave for an evacuation.

In addition, salaried exempt employees generally must receive their full salary for any week in which they perform work. Although part-week absences may be covered by drawing down available paid time off under your policy, you should not reduce their pay for absences occasioned by the operating requirements of the business. If salaried exempt employees are ready, willing, and able to work, deductions may not be made for time when work is not available.

Paid time off, such as vacation time, isn’t required by law and is subject to your policy. That said, if employees have paid time off available, presumably these events would qualify for leave.