May 23, 2025 2:50 a.m.

The Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District will officially declare the start of fire season on Sunday, June 1st.

Public Information Officer Natalie Weber said the fire danger will be Low and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will be at 1. Weber said lands affected by the declaration include 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forestlands in Jackson and Josephine counties.

Weber said consistent snow and rain across southern Oregon kept pre-season fires to a minimum until late April, when temperatures began to slowly heat up. Despite the wet spring, recent sunny and windy conditions have supported a gradual drying of vegetation. With those changes, the ODF Southwest Oregon District has responded to 12 fires for a total of 22 acres burned. As conditions continue to trend toward summer-like weather, fire risk and behavior will naturally increase.

For fire season information on the ODF Southwest Oregon District, go to: www.swofire.com