Fire season 'off to an aggressive start,' says Oregon Gov.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act at least six times in the past several days in response to rampant wildfires that have hit the state.
The state experienced thousands of lightning storms resulting in 100 new fires last week, Kotek said during a press briefing on Friday.
Three of the blazes in different areas of the state have burned more than 100,000 acres of land, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
“Our wildfire season is off to an aggressive start,” Kotek said. “My office has been working closely with state agencies to make sure we are putting our strongest foot forward.”
Oregon is no stranger to massive fires in recent years. In 2021, the state’s Bootleg fire consumed 413,765 acres before being extinguished.
Bloomberg News
It looks to be a record-breaking year for wildfires along the West Coast and into the Pacific Northwest. There are eight large wildfires burning in southern California and several in Idaho and Montana, though none as large as those in Oregon, according to the NIFC.
The disasters come at a time when the federal government has faced struggles to keep up with the level of aid needed to deal with more rapidly occurring natural disasters. Insurance companies have been pulling back in disaster-prone areas. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara have been working to woo back those that left .
The invoking of the act by Oregon’s governor is a declaration that the current fires are beyond local capabilities.
The governor said she activated the national guard to help extinguish the fires and has received help from roughly a dozen states including California, Idaho, Georgia and Florida.
As of Sunday morning, there were 81 active fires that burned 504,692 acres in Oregon, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.
The state was expecting another round of lightning and gusty winds over the weekend, and red flag warnings were extended through Sunday.
“This latest round of weather is extremely concerning,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Our firefighters are doing everything thing they can to rise to this immense challenge, but they are taxed, and we need our fellow Oregonians’ help. Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire.”
