The 82nd Legislative Assembly officially convened for a special session on wildfire funding on Dec. 12, called by Governor Kotek on Nov. 26, to allocate roughly $218 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to cover all pending expenses and outstanding bills from the 2024 wildfire season. By 3 p.m., the sole funding bill, Senate Bill 5801, had passed out of the Joint Special Session Committee on Wildfire Funding and was headed to the Senate and House for final passage. SB 5801 passed the Senate 25-2 and the House 41-2. By noon on Friday, Dec.13, the bill was signed by Governor Kotek and the funds were being directed to ODF and OSFM.
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) testified in support of SB 5801. Without the passage of SB 5801 and the necessary finances to cover these costs, Oregon would have run the risk of not having the workforce or the vendors to fight fires during future wildfire seasons. The $191.5 million allocated to ODF will be used to pay 2024 gross large fire costs and ensure the agency is able to distribute roughly $17 million in timber sales revenue to counties and local taxing districts in 2024. The $26.6 million allocated to OSFM addresses cash flow concerns and reconciles the state’s obligations from this past fire season.
“This special session was an opportunity to receive funding for the 2024 wildfire season, however it was much more,” said Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. “It sparked the conversation from partners and our legislators that Oregon needs a modernized wildfire funding methodology ─ one that focuses on the prevention and mitigation on the front end and adequate suppression. I am hopeful that as we move into session this work will continue to gain momentum and finally find solutions that meet the wildfire crisis and the conditions on the ground where they are at. Thank you to all our partners for their support.”
Between 2010 and 2019, the 10-year average of acres burned increased from 100,000 acres to roughly 500,000 acres annually. In 2020, over 1 million acres were burned and in 2024 that number reached 2 million acres. Since 2010, the total area in Oregon that has burned is equivalent to the combined land mass of Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Oregon’s gross wildfire costs averaged around $11 million per year from 2002 to 2012. From 2014 to 2024 these costs surged to an average of $75.5 million annually. The 2020 and 2021 calendar years exceeded $120 million, and the wildfire response costs alone in October of 2024 were $250 million and were continuing to climb. The full financial impact of the 2024 wildfires on the state is $352 million ─ $212 million higher than the previous record set in the 2020 Labor Day fires. However, the complete financial impact, when costs to local governments are fully factored, is not yet known but is expected to total well over half a billion dollars.
AOC will continue to advocate in the 2025 session for a long-term funding mechanism to support state and local government wildfire mitigation and response efforts.
Contributed by: Branden Pursinger | Legislative Affairs Manager