More than $218 million was approved by Oregon lawmakers on Thursday to pay for the staggering expenses that the state’s fire departments spent during this summer and fall’s record-breaking fires.
During a special session that lasted little over three hours on Thursday afternoon, they approved the funds.
Lawmakers emphasized that the funds are a temporary solution put together to allow the state to compensate contractors who assisted in putting out flames this year. During the 2025 session, the Legislature will focus on finding long-term ways to pay for wildfire seasons that are becoming more severe and costly.
About $82 million will be given to the Oregon Department of Forestry to compensate firefighters and support personnel who helped extinguish over 1.9 million acres of fire throughout the state. In order to pay its overdue debts, the State Fire Marshal Department, which assists in protecting towns in the path of wildfires, will get $8.4 million. The majority of the remaining funds will be used to pay expenditures that must be paid immediately but that the two agencies eventually anticipate receiving reimbursement from the federal government.
With only two no votes from Senators Dennis Linthicum, R-Beatty, and Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, the bill cleared the Senate. With only Reps. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, and James Hieb, R-Canby, voting against it, it also easily passed the House.
Before the vote, Portland Democrat and firefighter Dacia Grayber told the House, “We talk about this as a historic wildfire season, and I think we run the risk of this being our new normal.” In the near future, we should consider that obligation and that immediacy as we fervently support and hope to support the approval of this payment.
The state’s emergency fund will contribute around $108 million, while the remaining $110 million will come from general fund funds that remain, which state analysts estimate to be more than $2.8 billion.
Fire departments in Oregon frequently use their operating funds to cover wildfire expenses while they await reimbursement from the federal government. Legislators and government organizations have declared the system unsustainable.
a legislative workgroup that is now debating almost two dozen longer-term funding options, such as raising lodging or timber taxes or using lottery funds. Before presenting its suggestions to lawmakers, the panel is anticipated to polish its ideas in January.
Sen. Fred Girod of Lyons, who lost his home to a wildfire in 2020, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that it is just embarrassing that the state has found ourselves in this predicament where we haven’t paid our contractors. We anticipated all of this. We were aware that the model we had been using for decades was failing. It’s time for us to take action.
According to Oregon Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple, the state fire marshal’s office has managed to pay its bills thus far by using the funds allocated for personnel expenses, fire safety initiatives, and education programs to cover wildfire obligations. In order to cover its wildfire expenses, the Department of Forestry has also taken out loans from agency funds, but it hasn’t been able to keep up. The Legislative Fiscal Office found that by the end of November, invoices totaling over $102 million were still unpaid. The majority of those were 45 days or older.
Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, chastised the Department of Forestry during a committee hearing Thursday for not letting the public know how far underwater it would be following the record fire costs. He said that until last month, he was unaware of the department’s terrible financial predicament. He demanded the resignation of Cal Mukumoto, the State forester.
This is a total failure, and there is no trust in that organization to keep this body updated on events. Findley declared, “This behavior is unacceptable.” That being said, I am in favor of this policy. The bills must be paid.
According to forestry department spokesman Joy Krawczyk, the Legislature, the governor’s office, and the department have all clearly recognized that Oregon’s existing wildfire financing response hasn’t kept up with the rising complexity and expense of fire seasons over the last ten years.
According to Krawczyk, the length and severity of this wildfire season, which has seen several weeks of intense fire activity, have made it particularly costly.
Ruiz-Temple, the state fire marshal, was followed by uniformed fire chiefs from throughout the state to the Capitol on Thursday, where they observed lawmakers deliberating the funding bill.
David Jensen, the head of Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue in The Dalles, stated that he is not struggling with state reimbursement because his department did not send firefighters outside of their jurisdiction to fight fires throughout the state this year. However, it is crucial to his department that the forestry department and outside fire crews hired by his agency wish to return year to assist in defending his domain.
According to him, reputation is crucial in the fire department. The availability of a complement of private contractors to combat our fires is crucial, as is timely payment and paying what you promise to pay. That system cannot and should not deteriorate.
Sami Edge writes for The Oregonian on politics and higher education. She may be contacted at (503) 260-3430 or [email protected].
Latest local politics stories
-
Multnomah County chair tells departments to prepare for major budget cuts
-
What to know as Oregon lawmakers convene for special session on Thursday
-
Multnomah County commissioner beat out more experienced candidates to land division director job
-
See how Janelle Bynum won Oregon s most closely watched Congressional race
-
Workers slam Portland Mayor-elect Keith Wilson s plans to head back to the office
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
