Oregon's Governor Tina Kotek has moved to quickly call a special legislative session to deal with the financial afterburn of a record-breaking wildfire season. In a constitutional flex, she announced the session will start on December 12, aiming to help the state settle its share of a staggering $350 million bill. This year's fire season saw a devastating 1.9 million acres scorched, as reported on the governor's official newsroom page.
The gravity of the situation is clear, with costs almost tripling the 10-year state average for fire damage. Despite expectations to recover over half these costs from federal disaster funds, Oregon needs to act now to cover immediate expenses. Kotek emphasized, "The unprecedented 2024 wildfire season required all of us to work together to protect life, land, and property, and that spirit of cooperation must continue in order to meet our fiscal responsibilities," echoing the sense of urgency to meet the year-end fiscal deadlines. The Governor is also seeking to align state lawmakers to release funds to the tune of $218 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), according to the press release.
In a united front, House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-West Eugene & Veneta) voiced her support for the session. According to her statement, "Fighting wildfires of the magnitude we saw this season required a tremendous level of resources that even wildfire experts couldn’t foresee." She continued to emphasize the importance of honoring the state's commitments to the contractors who defended Oregon from the devastating blazes, stating, “Now, as we approach the end of the year and the holiday season, we need to make good on our commitments and pay our bills so that the contractors who fought fires in Oregon can be made whole. Convening now will enable us to do so, and to chart a bipartisan path forward to address our state’s most pressing needs,” as noted by the official newsroom page.
The damage toll from the fires includes at least 42 homes destroyed and 132 other structures, along with extensive harm to transportation, utilities, and economic sectors linked to natural resources. Governor Kotek had previously declared a State of Emergency in July, a move that saw the Emergency Conflagration Act invoked a record 17 times to marshal firefighting resources from OSFM and ODF to tackle the fires enveloping local communities.
