More than 2 million acres burned as Oregon sets new wildfire record

Oregon has broken its annual wildfire acreage record just three days into August.

The state surpassed its previous record, set in 2024, after more than 2 million acres burned across more than 40 fires statewide. With roughly two months remaining in the fire season, that total is expected to continue climbing.

The milestone comes after a weekend of extreme fire weather fueled rapid fire growth across Oregon and sparked several new blazes, prompting evacuation orders in parts of southern and central Oregon.

Why are fires so bad this year?

Warm Springs Fire Department public information officer Javin Dimmick said one reason recent wildfires have grown so large is the U.S. Forest Service’s century-long policy of aggressively suppressing wildfires.

While the agency has been successful at controlling fires, Dimmick said, the policy has also prevented nature from periodically burning off fuels, as it did for thousands of years before human intervention. By containing fires so quickly with modern technology, excess fuels such as pine needles, brush and dead trees have been allowed to accumulate, providing large amounts of dry material for fires to consume.

Another major factor is prolonged drought.

More than half of Oregon is currently under emergency drought declarations in 2026 following another winter of below-average snowpack and limited rainfall east of the Cascades. Forest officials say that each year the state receives less precipitation, conditions become drier heading into wildfire season, increasing the risk of large fires.

The problem also appears to be worsening, according to state data. From 2000-13, Oregon experienced just three fire seasons in which more than 500,000 acres burned. In the 13 years since, the state has recorded eight seasons exceeding 500,000 burned acres, including three that topped 1 million acres. Oregon has now surpassed 1.9 million burned acres in two of the last three summers.

Human-caused wildfires also account for a growing share of Oregon’s fires.

An Oregon Department of Forestry analysis published in 2023 found that more than 60% of the state’s wildfires between 2013 and 2022 were caused by people, including debris burning, discarded cigarettes, equipment use and recreational activities.

In 2013, one of Oregon’s worst fire seasons at the time, 672 of the state’s 1,186 wildfires, or about 56%, were determined to be human-caused. By comparison, 81% of Oregon’s wildfires in 2021 and 75% in 2022 were attributed to human activity.

Lightning remains a leading cause of naturally ignited wildfires, accounting for 26% of Oregon fires from 2013 to 2022.

But with lightning-caused fires unavoidable and human-caused fires continuing to make up a large share of the state’s wildfires, officials say it is more important than ever for Oregonians to take precautions by following burn bans, properly disposing of cigarettes, leaving fireworks to professionals and ensuring vehicles or equipment do not throw sparks.

“Throughout the summer, it will get hotter and drier. Oregon has record-setting low snowpack and nearly half of our counties are facing persistent drought conditions,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in June after declaring a state of emergency.

“On average, 70% of wildfires in Oregon are human-caused. Prevention starts with every Oregonian, at home, at work and out and about enjoying our great state,” she continued.

Forest officials are also warning that the state has broken its record and it’s only the beginning of August. With wildfires typically burning late into the fall, the damage is expected to continue growing.