Wildfire Awareness Month, May 1

May is Oregon Wildfire Awareness Month. Oregon experiences its heaviest wildfire activity during the summer, but fires occur all seasons of the year including spring. During May, federal, state, tribal and local fire agencies will be spreading the word about wildfire prevention and the steps Oregonians can take to stop most fires before they start. AT STAKE: LIVES, PROPERTY, FORESTS: When it comes to preventing wildfires, there’s a lot at stake – lives, personal property, and the many values provided by Oregon’s forests and rangelands. During the 2014 season, 1.3 million acres in the Northwest were consumed by wildfire, which includes 868,399 in Oregon and 425,136 in Washington. The total cost to date exceeds $460 million. Closer to home, 705 human-caused fires burned around 20,000 acres on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry, nearly six times the 10-year average acres. ODF’s gross large-fire costs were $75.6 million, and timber losses totaled roughly $227 million. The fires destroyed numerous homes, threatened large communities and decimated key fish and wildlife habitats.