After a warm winter with record-low snowpack, local fire districts are preparing for another high-risk wildfire season that could take crews out of town.

Representatives from Keizer Fire District and Marion County Fire District 1 said the drier conditions lead to increased risk of wildfires this summer in Oregon’s timberlands and grasslands. 

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data between December and February, Oregon experienced its warmest winter since 1934.

Derek Gasperini, spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry, said Oregon’s snowpack is between 10% and 30% of average levels. This is the lowest recorded snowpack in 100 years, he said. 

He said snow melt fills streams and rivers, and feeds trees and grasses and. With less snow, conditions could be drier this summer. 

“There is a potential for very hot and dry conditions over the summer, which means fuels are very receptive to ignition,” Gasperini said. 

Fuels include trees, dried grasses and tree needles along forest floors, he said. 

Gasperini said forecasts show a hot and dry summer, and combined with the lack of snowpack “fire danger may be high.” 

He said Oregon typically has the same number of wildfires that start each year, but the conditions lead to variances in how quickly fires spread or how destructive they are. 

Kyle McMann, chief of Marion County Fire District 1, said drier-than-normal conditions mean fire districts need to be prepared for wildfire earlier than they would have a decade ago. 

He said there is “higher potential” for fire this year “but not anything out of the ordinary.” 

Gasperini and Anne-Marie Storms, deputy fire marshal at Keizer Fire District, said spring rains could change summer conditions. 

“We have had years where we had a spring like this, and then we get a whole bunch of rain, and nothing ever comes from it,” Storms said.

Ahead of the approaching wildfire season, crews in each district are ensuring they are packed for quick deployment.

McMann said district employees are also undergoing refresher training for wildfires and ensuring firefighting equipment is ready.

Local fire districts can be called on each year to help fight a wildfire anywhere in Oregon and the West. Storms and McMann said their districts, and other municipal districts, are called on by the state to aid with fires affecting life and property. 

Individual firefighters can elect to participate in an incident management team, which Storms described as leadership managing the logistics of fighting a fire. Storms said people on the team are in administrative roles, and gave examples of Keizer firefighters who support radio communication or serve as public information officers.

Incident management teams can call for task forces asking local districts to provide specific equipment needed for a fire, such as a fire engine designed to protect a building. Firefighters in local districts can also volunteer to respond to wildfires as part of a task force.

Storms and McMann explained that their districts are compensated by the state for the cost of crews and equipment dispatched to wildfires. 

McMann said the Marion County district has received $628,920 from the Oregon State Fire Marshal this fiscal year, including $486,845 for personnel and $139,867 for vehicles. Storms said in 2025 the Keizer district received $540,307 for equipment, engine crews and individuals assigned to incident management teams. 

McMann said five people within the Marion County district are part of an incident management team, and 30 people participate in a state task force. Storms said about four people from the Keizer district are on incident management teams. 

Storms said the number of times the Keizer crews are part of wildfire teams varies from year to year. She said Keizer crews have helped the state “multiple times” in the last couple of years due to the severity of the fire seasons. 

McMann estimated the Marion County district crews are dispatched by the state an average of six times a year. He noted that the number could double during a busy fire season. 

Gasperini said the forestry department is working to promote fire prevention. He said wildfires in Oregon are caused more frequently by humans than by natural causes such as lightning. 

Storms said the Keizer Fire District, Marion County and the Salem Fire Department have scheduled an open house about safeguarding homes against wildfire on Monday, May 18. The event will begin at 5 p.m. at Marion County Station 1, located in Salem at 300 Cordon Rd. N.E.

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at [email protected].

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