October 16, 2023 4:00 a.m.

After 134 days, the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District declared an end to the 2023 fire season in Josephine and Jackson counties on Friday.

Public Information Officer Natalie Weber said consistent rain across the district and new, green grass and vegetation growing in has allowed for all fire season regulations and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels to be lifted. The declaration affects 1.8 million acres protected by the ODF. At this time, industrial burning remains prohibited.

Weber said this year’s fire season was not without its challenges. Firefighters on the district responded to 207 fires since the season began on June 1st, for a total of 1,634 acres burned. The largest fire of the season, the lightning-caused Smith River Complex, originated in California and burned into Oregon. Weber said the district was proactive with its federal partners as the fire began to burn toward the Oregon border. As a direct result, of the fire’s 85,429 acres, only 1,440 acres affected ODF-protected lands in Josephine County. The second largest fire on the district, the Whiskey Creek Fire in Josephine County, was stopped at just 27 acres.

The termination of the fire season removes fire prevention regulations on equipment use and the use of fire for debris burning. This applies to the public and industrial operations on forestlands, however industrial slash burning is still prohibited.