PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon is getting close to breaking the state’s all-time record for acres burned in a single wildfire season.
As of Monday morning, Carol Connolly, public information officer for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, said 2,081,661 acres burned in Oregon in 2024.
So far in 2026, 60 large fires have burned 2,014,481 acres across Oregon.
With months still left in the wildfire season and a Red Flag Warning for extreme fire danger in the southern Willamette Valley, officials say the state could easily surpass the record in the coming weeks.
“What we’re seeing is extremely receptive fuels. There’s lightning and then right after the lightning there is a wind event plus high temperatures and then you already have these really dry receptive fuels. It’s creating this extreme fire behavior,” said Jessica Neujahr, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Although most of the state’s largest fires so far have not been human-caused, data suggests Oregonians may be letting their guard down.
Last year, 52% of all wildfires in Oregon were human-caused. This year, that figure has risen to 56%.
Most of the fires are concentrated in Eastern, Central and Southern Oregon. But with the Red Flag Warning affecting parts of the Willamette Valley this week, Neujahr is urging caution.
“I think where the misconception might lie for our westside friends is that, ‘oh, we don’t have the lightning and things like that,’ but we do have the human-caused starts, and we also have more timber on the westside too. So if there was a human-caused fire start in a forest, the fuels are still just as receptive over here,” she said.
Neujahr said now is the time for Oregonians to pay extra attention to fire restrictions while camping. Another important part of fire prevention is vehicle maintenance, making sure malfunctioning car parts are not causing sparks near dry grass. That includes towing chains scraping against the ground while driving.
Officials also said the Spokane fires are good reminders of the damage an urban fire can cause. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for emergency alerts through OR-Alert and have a go bag ready.
As of Monday morning, these were the five largest fires burning in Oregon:
- Big Grass — 336,779 acres, 19% contained
- Rowe Creek Complex — 320,834 acres, 53% contained
- Coleman Creek — 264,839 acres, 18% contained
- Hay Creek Complex — 200,292 acres, 97% contained
- Second Flat — 105,432 acres, 40% contained
The total acreage burned in 2026 will not be known until the end of the wildfire season.
