Oregon marks the end of a relatively mild wildfire season

Fire season has officially ended for all of Oregon’s state-run fire districts, as of Friday.

Despite early warnings predicting a catastrophic season, 2025 was relatively mild compared to previous fire years.

Forecasters expected high temperatures and severe drought conditions to persist through the summer, which for the most part, they did.

But some mid-season rain may have helped tamp down flames, keeping them from growing into the types of disastrous megafires that Oregon has seen in years past.

Overall, fires burned across 339,000 acres in Oregon this year. That’s far less than the 1.9 million acres that burned in 2024, despite significantly more fire starts. About 1,000 more fires sparked in Oregon compared to last year.

Oregon Department of Forestry officials credit their teams for quickly quashing fires on state-protected public and private lands.

“This year had the potential to be similar to last year, but ODF firefighters showed up every single day to make sure that did not happen,” said Kyle Williams, deputy director of fire operations, said in a statement.

The fire season had a rough early start. In June, the Rowena Fire destroyed 56 homes in the unincorporated community of Rowena, along the Columbia River outside The Dalles. A few weeks later, the Burdoin Fire broke out across the river, destroying 19 homes and damaging 47 more.

Individual fire districts under the Oregon Department of Forestry announce the end of fire season based on weather conditions. The end of fire season means landowners in those districts no longer need to follow certain fire restrictions, like bans on burning debris piles.

Many local fire departments have their own fire policies, so property owners should check with their local fire departments before burning debris.