Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season burned a record amount of land and cost more to fight than any season before it, even as the state saw fewer fires than usual.
More than 2.1 million acres burned across the state this year, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry, surpassing the previous record set in 2024. A record-low snowpack and two summer lightning storms set the stage for fires that destroyed dozens of homes, took the lives of two men working the fires and became the most expensive in state history, with firefighting costs topping $235 million.
Oregon wildfire season by the numbers
For the 2026 wildfire season, the number of wildfires across Oregon was lower than what’s been reported over the past four seasons. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, since 2022, the average number of reported wildfires between May and October was around 2,100. In 2026, 1,813 fires were reported.
Though there were fewer wildfires reported in 2026, those fires burned a record amount of land. ODF reported that 2.1 million acres burned in Oregon in 2026, about 13% more than the previous record of 1.9 million acres set in 2024.
The number of Oregonians under evacuation notices peaked on July 27, when 18,193 people were under Level 1 “Be Ready,” 8,077 under Level 2 “Be Set” and 6,344 under Level 3 “Go Now!” orders, according to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.
During the 2026 season, large wildfires destroyed 56 homes across the state, according to data from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.
Biggest fires of the season in Oregon
More than half the total acres burned in Oregon can be attributed to just five wildfires.
While acreage is one way to measure a wildfire’s size, it does not necessarily reflect its impact on people and communities. Smaller fires that occur near homes, businesses or critical infrastructure can result in greater property loss, displacement, injuries or fatalities than much larger fires burning in remote areas.
Human impact
The season hit hard, both in the communities that burned and among the crews fighting the fires.
In late July, the Bench Fire burned through the Warm Springs Reservation in Central Oregon, destroying at least six homes and forcing hundreds to evacuate. Thousands of residents experienced prolonged power outages, water shortages, road closures and heavy smoke because of the fire.
The Bench Fire’s impact was both financial and emotional, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs leaders said. Damage from the fire could take years to recover from, due to the loss of timber revenue, ancestral foods, wildlife and damage to land that tribal members view as interconnected with their lives and culture.
Related: Warm Springs Reservation faces years of recovery after Bench Fire sweeps through
Near Mount Hood in Wasco County, the Grasshopper Fire burned for months after lightning sparked it in July. The fire destroyed at least six homes and numerous other structures.
By mid-August, crews had gained ground on the fire, but they were worn down and short on resources.
Jon Wallace, a wildland firefighter who helped extinguish the Grasshopper Fire, said crews were stretched thin.
“There’s just so many fires going on, and it seems like every fire that’s going on has structures threatened,” Wallace said. “Every fire that’s going on has critical power lines, critical roads that are threatened, and so the resources are just getting stretched thinner and thinner.”
Related: The Grasshopper Fire destroyed homes and tested firefighters. Many wonder what comes next
Two men died battling separate fires in Oregon this year.
Jason Ensign of Klamath Falls was operating a dozer, helping fire crews put out the Wrights Spring Fire in Southern Oregon, when flames surrounded him. Crews found him dead several hours later inside the badly damaged bulldozer.
Wildland firefighter Jesús Eduardo Olimpo Gutiérrez Toral, 25, was injured while removing dangerous trees at the Austin Fire near Mount Hood, according to KVAL 13 News. He later died at a hospital from his injuries.
Gov. Tina Kotek ordered all flags at Oregon public institutions to be lowered in honor of both men killed.
Weather and climate
Last winter, Oregon’s statewide snowpack sat at a record low, nearly 30% below the previous record set in 2015. The snowpack did not recover, contributing to dry conditions that persisted into the wildfire season.
Two summer lightning storms ignited fires that spread quickly through the dry landscape. They drove the record acreage and forced crews to split resources across dozens of fires at once.
Wildfire smoke became a regular part of summer across the state this year, with nearly every region experiencing increases in unhealthy air days, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Smoke blanketed nearly the entire state in early August, forcing some camps and outdoor activities to shut down and contributing to an increase in smoke-related hospital visits.
Related: Wildfire smoke becomes a regular occurrence across Oregon, as residents learn to adapt
A projected “super El Niño” could bring a warmer, wetter winter to the Pacific Northwest, with much of the precipitation expected to fall as rain instead of snow. Another low-snowpack year could raise the risk of drought in 2027 and set the stage for more wildfires as water runs short and landscapes dry out, said Larry O’Neill, Oregon’s state climatologist. The exact effects remain uncertain because climate change is altering how these weather patterns play out in the region.
Related: Pacific Northwest faces another bad snow year thanks to ‘super El Niño’
Economic impact
Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season is the most expensive on record.
The Oregon Department of Forestry reported that firefighting costs passed $235 million by mid-August, exceeding the final net costs of the record-setting 2024 fire season by roughly $35 million. By late August, state officials projected total wildfire costs could climb to $350 million.
Several fires in the state occurred in remote areas that were not eligible for certain federal reimbursements, increasing the 2026 firefighting expenses borne by local governments. The state has also relied on federal grants and other contributions to offset some costs, but reimbursement payments can take years to arrive.
In September, the Oregon Legislature’s Joint Emergency Board approved $123 million in additional wildfire funding, including $108 million for the state forestry department and $15 million for the state fire marshal. The forestry department also moved forward with plans to borrow $150 million from the Oregon State Treasury under House Bill 3940 to keep paying its bills through the end of the year.
Final cost estimates will not be known until the Oregon Department of Forestry submits its final report to the Legislature in December.
Farmers in 18 Oregon counties are eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency emergency loans. The FSA’s loans can be used by farmers for some recovery needs, such as replacing equipment and livestock lost to wildfires. Loan applications are open until Sept. 30, 2027.
Homeowners whose property was damaged during a wildfire will work with insurance companies, state and federal agencies to recoup their losses. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is hosting a series of discussions with homeowners across the state about insurance non-renewals in high-risk wildfire areas.
Preventive measures for the 2027 wildfire season
The Oregon Department of Forestry plans to use the off-season to reduce wildfire risk for 2027, spending millions of dollars in grants to clear hazardous fuels across thousands of acres.
Forest thinning and fuel reduction remain a point of contention in communities across the country.
Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee, including U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Bend, launched an investigation in September into 19 environmental groups they say are raising funds to hold up “pro-growth and pro-natural resource management activities” in U.S. forests. Oregon-based Cascadia Wildlands and Oregon Wild are among the groups being investigated. Environmentalists contend that much of the logging sought by the Trump administration would provide the selective fuel removal that might make a difference in preventing wildfires.
Budget and job cuts to the U.S. Forest Service by the Trump administration have slowed fuel-reduction efforts, according to reporting from NPR.
Check before you burn
The end of fire season in Oregon means people living on land protected by the state forestry department can burn yard debris without a permit. Still, local fire departments’ burn bans vary, and everyone is encouraged to look at local regulations before burning. You can check fire regulations where you live at beforeyouburn.net.
Resources: Stay safe and informed during wildfire season with OPB’s wildfire guide at opb.org/wildfires. This resource offers essential safety tips and preparedness guidance to help you navigate fire and smoke events. This resource was created as part of our commitment to serving the public as wildfire seasons become longer and more dangerous.
