Western Oregon Could See Fire Risk Build as Summer Moves Along

Western Oregon may get a little more time before wildfire season really ramps up, but the latest national fire outlook shows conditions trending in the wrong direction as summer goes on.

For now, west-side Oregon is expected to stay closer to normal for significant fire potential in June. That makes sense for this side of the Cascades, where many areas still have some green-up and fuels are not drying out as fast as they are in central and eastern Oregon.

That does not mean the west side is out of the woods.

The June outlook points to a warmer and drier pattern across Oregon and Washington. May was already warmer than normal, and many places saw far less rain than usual. Snowpack also melted out early in many mid-elevation areas, which means some higher-elevation fuels are being exposed sooner than they normally would be.

The concern grows later in the summer.

By July, fire potential is expected to increase in parts of western Oregon as grasses cure and brush continues to dry out. The outlook also notes that portions of the Cascades may become more vulnerable because of the early snowmelt.

By August, above normal fire potential is expected across the entire Northwest, including western Oregon. That elevated potential is also expected to continue into September.

For people on the west side of Oregon, the message is not that a major fire is guaranteed. It means the setup for larger or harder-to-control fires is expected to become more favorable as the season goes on, especially during hot, dry, windy, or lightning-driven weather.

June may still feel fairly normal in many west-side communities, but the outlook suggests the season could build quickly from there.