Fewer fires, record damage: Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season by the numbers

By Casey Frizzell
Oregon Public Broadcasting
October 24, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season burned a record amount of land and cost more to fight than any season before it, even as the state saw fewer fires than usual. More than 2.1 million acres burned across the state this year, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry, surpassing the previous record set in 2024. …For the 2026 wildfire season, the number of wildfires across Oregon was lower than what’s been reported over the past four seasons. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, since 2022, the average number of reported wildfires between May and October was around 2,100. In 2026, 1,813 fires were reported. …During the 2026 season, large wildfires destroyed 56 homes across the state, according to data from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. …The Oregon Department of Forestry reported that firefighting costs passed $235 million by mid-August, exceeding the final net costs of the record-setting 2024 fire season by roughly $35 million.

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