Oregon region identified as potential 'hotbed' for 2024 wildfire season

PORTLAND, OregonKOIN) – With wildfire season underway, Oregon lawmakers held a briefing with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center Monday for a preview of the 2024 season – identifying a region of the state as a “hotbed” of potential fire risk.

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At Monday's briefing, which included Oregon Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, the center's meteorologist Jon Bonk said the outlook for wildfires was mixed regarding weather.

According to Bonk, with the exception of southern Oregon, temperatures overall have been cooler over the past three months.

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Additionally, officials said areas of drought have diminished in most areas of Oregon since Jan. 2. However, they see an extension of drought in north-central and northwest Washington starting June 18.

Even though drought levels have improved in some areas, Bonk said rain levels in Oregon are below average as wildfire season approaches.

“If you look at the Cascade crest to the east…many areas have been below normal (precipitation levels). Temperatures haven't been significantly below normal, but any time we enter a below-normal season, it just prepares fuels, especially grasses, for more active burning,” Bonk said .

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As part of a nationwide wildfire forecast, southeastern Oregon is expected to become a “hotbed” of wildfire risk in August and September.

Bonk explained that in 2023 there were no significant fires in southeastern Oregon that would have destroyed last year's grass crops, and that 2024 saw excessive precipitation in winter that helped create new grass crops, creating more fuel for wildfires “to cause fires to spread quickly,” Bonk said – noticing lightning and strong winds could be a ” doubled” for the fire risk in the region.

Members of the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center said three things would help them respond to wildfires: increasing leave and pay to stay competitive, implementing new satellite firefighting technology and the housing – both in general – and specific fire stations in rural Oregon.

During the briefing, lawmakers noted that with climate change, wildfires will become more frequent and more powerful, as Senator Wyden explained: “Mother Nature has given us a little boost.” inch this time, a little better in terms of precipitation and snow cover. and so on, but Father Time taught us that these fires are bigger, more powerful, and they are not your grandfather's fires.

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