Wyden, Hoyle warn Lane County wildfire season could start early

Oregon’s wildfire season could arrive early, and Lane County is already in the window when a few dry weeks can turn a manageable fire into a fast-moving threat. With Oregon’s April snowpack measured at 15% of the 1991-2020 median on April 1, the lowest on record, lawmakers and fire officials are warning Eugene, Springfield and surrounding communities not to wait for the first smoke plume before preparing homes and evacuation plans.

Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Val Hoyle carried that message into Eugene on Thursday night, saying the low snowpack and fast-melting mountain runoff could set up an earlier-than-usual fire season. State fire experts have said Oregon’s fire season could begin in June and stretch into October, and Gov. Tina Kotek warned on May 5 that this year could be the earliest and longest in years. Oregon also had nine counties under drought emergency declarations by late April and early May, a sign that much of the state is already entering summer with less margin for error.

The practical takeaway for Lane County households is immediate: clear brush and limbs away from homes, especially near decks, fences, gutters and outbuildings; check whether wood piles, propane tanks and doormats sit too close to the house; and make sure driveways and roadways stay open for fire engines. Homes on the edge of Eugene, Springfield and the foothills east of town are especially vulnerable when wind pushes embers ahead of a fire.

The region’s water outlook is not helping. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service said Oregon’s snowpack was historically low in its April 2026 outlook, with peak snow water equivalent near record lows. Separate reporting showed the state’s snowpack was below the previous record low from 2015, underscoring how little late-season snowpack remained to feed streams and keep conditions cool and damp.

Wyden has been pressing the issue at the federal level, saying in April that the Trump administration was “kneecapping” fire preparedness ahead of what he described as a potentially historic wildfire season. On Wednesday, Oregon congressional Democrats received a briefing from officials at the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland and warned that federal agencies helping prevent and fight fires could be understaffed and underprepared. Hoyle has tied the risk to forest conditions, arguing that sustainable management and debris removal matter more than simplistic logging fights.

Local agencies are trying to shore up response capacity. The Oregon State Fire Marshal has awarded nearly $6 million in wildfire staffing grants to 180 fire agencies statewide for 2026. For Lane County residents, the next step is less political than personal: prepare go-bags, review evacuation routes, sign up for emergency alerts and make sure smoke filters, medications and pet supplies are ready before the first hot, windy stretch settles over the Willamette Valley.