Oregon Awards Nearly $6 Million to Boost Wildfire Response Staffing Ahead of Fire Season
SALEM, Ore. (May 1, 2026) — As Oregon braces for another potentially intense wildfire season, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has awarded nearly $6 million in grants to strengthen firefighting capacity across the state.
The agency’s 2026 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant will provide funding to 180 local fire agencies, with individual awards of up to $35,000 to support additional staffing through October. The funding is designed to help departments bring on seasonal firefighters or cover extra shifts during peak fire months.
“Over the years, we have offered this grant to the Oregon fire service, and it has been a game changer,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “The Oregon fire service has been able to prevent fires from escalating to much larger, more costly regional or statewide responses.”
The program aims to reduce emergency response times and contain fires before they threaten communities. Officials say the investment has been particularly impactful for smaller and rural fire agencies, many of which rely heavily on volunteer personnel. By increasing staffing levels, these departments are better equipped not only to respond to wildfires but also to handle other life-safety emergencies.
The wildfire season staffing grant is now in its fifth year, and state leaders say it continues to deliver strong results.
Fire Chief Sean Hartley of Crooked River Ranch Fire and Rescue credited the program with improving response capabilities during last year’s fire season.
“I can say without hesitation this grant had a direct and immediate impact on our ability to respond to the Alder Springs and Flat fires in 2025,” Hartley said. “The additional personnel funded by the grant meant we had more firefighters available when these large incidents occurred. This support strengthened our operational readiness when it mattered most.”
A full list of grant recipients is available on the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s website. Lawmakers have also signaled continued support for the program, with the Oregon Legislature allocating funding to sustain the grant into 2027.
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