Oregon 2025 Wildfires Burn Fewer Acres Closer to Communities

Oregon's 2025 wildfire season saw significantly fewer acres burned, about 350,000 compared to 1.9 million in 2024, and cost the state less to fight, approximately $146 million versus $350 million last year. Despite the reduction in acreage, the fires burned much closer to communities, destroying around 200 homes and structures, notably in the Flat and Rowena fires near Sisters and The Dalles. Human activity caused nearly 62% of the more than 1,100 fires this season, a proportion higher than the 10-year average, reversing a previous downward trend. Meanwhile, the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, aimed at preventing major wildfires, has sparked debate among environmentalists; some support its fast-tracking of prescribed burns, while others criticize it for weakening environmental reviews by raising the threshold for projects needing assessment to 10,000 acres. This bill could lead to increased logging, grazing, and mining on federal lands in Oregon, which comprises half the state's land base, potentially diminishing environmental oversight and public input. The legislation now awaits a Senate floor vote, amid divided conservationist opinions on balancing wildfire prevention with land protection.