Officials warn against burn piles and carelessness amid hot, dry weather; fire crew staffing and preparedness at 2024 levels despite federal funding cuts

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden rounded out a multiple-day visit to Southern Oregon on Tuesday with a briefing from regional fire officials regarding the upcoming wildfire season.

While fire season officially begins in Oregon on June 1, state and federal fire officials have spoken in recent weeks and again Tuesday to already evident hot and dry conditions in Southern Oregon that could make for an active 2025 season.

Wyden was in town for several appearances and events this past week, including for his annual Jackson County town hall event at the Medford Armory on Sunday and for Memorial Day observances Monday at Eagle Point National Cemetery.

The Democrat was briefed Tuesday at the Medford Interagency Office on Biddle Road — the location serves as a central hub for coordinating interagency efforts in the region.

Regional firefighting agencies — including the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management — told the senator that staffing levels and preparedness for the coming fire season are on par with the 2024 wildfire season despite ongoing concerns about federal funding cuts. Wyden pledged ongoing efforts to fight for needed suppression and firefighting resources for Southern Oregon and addressed concerns over cutbacks by the Trump administration that could affect wildfires and public safety.

He voiced concerns, in particular, regarding cutbacks to wildfire suppression programs and to the National Weather Service.

“We’ve got a couple of really big opportunities, like the new fiscal year, to get additional funds in this community. I don’t have any higher priority, because this is all about safety,” he said.

“That’s nothing about blue and red, Democrats and Republicans. … It’s about safety.”
Wyden called dry and hot conditions forecast for later this week “a wake-up call” and expressed gratitude for regional officials who contend with fire season each year.

Dan Quinones, district forester for Southwest Oregon ODF, said flexibility and the ability to “pivot with different funding streams and mechanisms” makes for a successful regional collaboration during fire seasons.
Quinones said the region had experienced its biggest wildfire season ever, in terms of acreage and monetary spending, last year. He predicted a similar 2025 season.

Already this year, Quoinones said his agency had responded to several fires, totaling 22 acres, on ODF Southwest protected lands.

He told those in attendance, “Let’s not be fooled that we’re going to be good until fire season. We are experiencing warmer and drier weather, and as the senator mentioned, it doesn’t look to end anytime soon.”

Southwest Oregon ODF said the official start to fire season on Sunday comes with an initial “green” or low level of fire risk, but officials urged community members to be vigilant about outdoor activities and pay attention to weather that could create hazardous conditions.

ODF spokesperson Natalie Weber said a false sense of security prior to official declaration of fire season is always a concern.

“There is some concern that we could see an uptick of fires as local residents try to get that last bit of debris burning or even mowing in prior to June 1,” she said.

“The declaration of fire season seems like it gets a lot of people’s attention as far as when to expect increased fire risk, but the weather is what we need to pay attention to. … When it gets hot and when it gets windy, that’s when we start seeing people losing fires,” Weber said. “With those hot, dry conditions, fire is going to behave more intensely.”

She added, “Fire season means the onset of regulations but it doesn’t mean that’s the only time we can expect to see fires here in Southern Oregon.”

Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or buffy.pollock@rv-times.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.