On August 28, 2022, Governor Kate Brown declared a statewide emergency because multiple wildfires, including the Rum Creek Fire.[1][2] That same month, Governor Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act because of the Miller Road/Dodge Fire.[3] On October 22nd, the Oregon Department of Forestry declared an end to fire season due in part to rainy, cooler conditions. As of the announced end of the 2022 fire season, 1,975 fires had burned 436,772 acres across the state.[4]
"Fire season" in Oregon typically begins in mid-May and ends with the first rains that normally begins in late September. Drought, snowpack levels, and local weather conditions play a role in Oregon's fire season, particularly in Eastern and Southwest Oregon. During peak fire season from July to September, most wildfires are caused by lightning, while ignitions in the early and later parts of the season are related to humans. Warm, dry conditions in summer heighten the wildfire risk. After over 100 years of fire suppression and prevention of all fires, there is now an abundance of fuel. Climate change is leading to a reduced snowpack with an earlier and reduced snowmelt, so there is a higher risk for areas that receive wildfires.[5]
List of wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.
^Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[6]
