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  "description": "Forecasters expect an earlier, hotter wildfire season after a record-low snowpack, and state agencies and utilities are urging residents to get ready now.",
  "path": "/fire-officials-utilities-push-wildfire-prep-ahead-of-expected-early-fire-season/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-12T02:58:16.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.newsinthegrove.com",
  "tags": [
    "beforeyouburn.net",
    "can find more information",
    "Banks residents",
    "preventwildfires.oregon.gov",
    "oralert.gov",
    "portlandgeneral.com/wildfiresafety",
    "pacificpower.net/wildfiresafety",
    "idahopower.com/wildfire",
    "keeporegongreen.org",
    "wildfire.oregon.gov",
    "Oregon faces longer fire season due to historic heat, drought, fire experts warnOregon’s wildfire season started early this year and is expected to last into October, according to state fire experts.News in the GroveAlex Baumhardt - Oregon Capital Chronicle"
  ],
  "textContent": "State fire agencies and Oregon's three largest electric utilities are pushing residents to prepare for what forecasters expect could be an earlier and hotter wildfire season, citing a record-low snowpack and an abnormally warm winter that has already dried out grass and brush across much of the state.\n\nThe Central Oregon District has already declared the start of fire season, the Oregon Department of Forestry said, with restrictions and permit requirements now in place in 11 counties. Escaped debris burns have already scorched 83 acres on ODF-protected land in 2026, up from 69 acres at the same point last year.\n\nMay is Wildfire Awareness Month, and we've included three pieces of guidance from state agencies and utilities issued over the past week each tackle a different piece of getting ready.\n\n## Don't start a fire\n\nMore than 70% of Oregon wildfires every year are human-caused, and escaped debris burns top the list, ODF said.\n\nODF is urging anyone burning yard debris this spring to call before they burn, keep piles no larger than 4 feet by 4 feet, stay with the fire until it's out cold, and clear a 10-foot fuel-free buffer around the pile. The agency pointed residents to beforeyouburn.net to check local rules.\n\nForest Grove-area residents can find more information online, as can Banks residents.\n\nState law requires monitoring burn piles at all times until they are out cold, and people whose burns get away from them can be held liable for suppression costs and damage to neighbors' property.\n\nODF suggested holding off on burning until fall, when conditions are more favorable, and covering piles with a tarp in the meantime.\n\n## Harden your home\n\nThe Oregon State Fire Marshal said a weekend's worth of work in the first five feet around a home can make the difference between surviving a wildfire and losing the house.\n\nBigfoot is the mascot for the agency's new summer awareness campaign, \"Wildfire Prepared, One Foot at a Time.\"\n\n\"With the help of Bigfoot as our guide, we want you to be wildfire prepared one foot at a time,\" State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. \"We've launched a summer campaign to show that these small steps can reduce your home's chances of loss or damage from wildfire.\"\n\nRuiz-Temple's list:\n\n  * Clear leaves, pine needles and other debris from the roof, gutters and deck, including underneath.\n  * Cover vents with 1/8-inch metal wire mesh to keep embers out.\n  * Move combustible items such as furniture, cushions, trash cans and rugs at least five feet from the house.\n  * Replace bark mulch with gravel or pavers in the first five feet around the house.\n  * Keep lawns short and green during fire season.\n\n\n\nFree home assessments and checklists are available at preventwildfires.oregon.gov.\n\n## Plan for outages\n\nPortland General Electric, Pacific Power, Idaho Power and the Oregon Public Utility Commission jointly asked customers to plan for outages when fire danger climbs.\n\n\"We've had an unusually dry winter across much of Oregon, and that means wildfire season may arrive earlier and with greater intensity,\" PUC Chair Letha Tawney said. \"Even as Oregon electric utilities invest billions to reduce wildfire risk, customers need to be ready for potential outages when fire danger is high.\"\n\nPGE, Pacific Power and Idaho Power suggested assembling an outage kit with shelf-stable food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and car chargers for phones. Customers who rely on electricity for medical equipment were encouraged to enroll in their utility's Medical Certificate Program and make a backup plan with their doctor.\n\nResidents were also asked to update their contact information with their utility so outage alerts get through, and to sign up for emergency alerts at oralert.gov.\n\nPGE customers can find more at portlandgeneral.com/wildfiresafety. Pacific Power customers can find a public-safety-power-shutoff map and outage checklist at pacificpower.net/wildfiresafety. Idaho Power's wildfire page is at idahopower.com/wildfire.\n\nAdditional statewide resources are at keeporegongreen.org and wildfire.oregon.gov.\n\nOregon faces longer fire season due to historic heat, drought, fire experts warnOregon’s wildfire season started early this year and is expected to last into October, according to state fire experts.News in the GroveAlex Baumhardt - Oregon Capital Chronicle",
  "title": "Fire officials, utilities push wildfire prep ahead of expected early fire season",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-12T02:58:17.035Z"
}