Gov. Kotek warns wildfire season far from over

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon's wildfire season is far from over.

That was Governor Tina Kotek's main message during an update Thursday on the state's firefighting efforts as she called 2024 an unprecedented wildfire season.

It may seem quiet to those living in the Portland metro area. However, that's because much of the fire activity was out in east and central Oregon.

In fact, this stage of the wildfire season is typically known as the most dangerous time. That means Oregon has the potential to see worsening conditions.

So far this year, more than 1.5 million acres have burned, more than double what the 10-year average is for Oregon wildfire seasons.

While a worst-case scenario isn't guaranteed to happen, Kotek said the state has preparations in place to respond quickly if it does.

"If we have another east wind event like we had four years ago, particularly with the Labor Day wildfires, we'll have a five to seven advanced day notice to know that they're coming and we will be responding accordingly," Kotek said. "Right now, we're feeling optimistic. But we should always stay prepared."

The update comes a few days before Labor Day weekend, the anniversary for the devasting Oregon wildfires that happened in 2020 in which a wind storm fed the flames across much of the state.

One of the current priorities for crews is maintaining the fire lines on current fires as the weather changes. Right now, there are six incident command teams dealing with active wildfire complexes.

Experts also warn it's still important to avoid starting any new fires and comply with burning restrictions.