(Editor's note: The above video about wildfire smoke impacting the Oregon Shakespeare Festival originally aired on July 30, 2019.)
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Wildfire season in Oregon ended October 1 as the shortest in the 21st century. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) reports this year’s 99-day season was three weeks shorter than the average season.
The arrival of cooler temperatures and steady, soaking rain triggers the end of fire season. The last fire protection district to end its fire season was the Southwest Oregon District covering Josephine and Jackson counties.
Favorable conditions and successful initial attack helped keep the total acres burned across the state this year to 16,867, which is 56% below average.
“Thanks to a minimum number of wildfires on the landscape statewide, we were fortunate to have adequate resources to respond to fires on our jurisdiction,” said ODF Fire Protection Deputy Chief Ron Graham.
As the state transitions out of fire season, ODF districts will shift their attention to wildfire prevention. ODF will be working with local landowners and fire agencies to clear vegetation, create defensible space around homes, and keep debris piles under control.