Lawmakers Propose Prescribed Burns as Oregon Faces Costly Wildfire Season

Controlling the spread of summer wildfires, which last year consumed 1.93 million acres across Oregon, can be achieved through prescribed burns, according to four lawmakers who have introduced the National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and three lawmakers from neighboring states  California and Washington have introduced proposed legislation to tackle the risk of wildfires as climate change increases temperatures during the summer.

The proposed legislation seeks to increase the scale and number of prescribed burns and to develop a skilled workforce to help prevent the catastrophic damage caused by wildfires.

Last year, wildfire suppression cost Oregon taxpayers $350 million.

Senator Wyden says Oregon cannot afford to wait for the disaster wrought by wildfires to strike and believes the proposed legislation will help turn around an untenable situation.

The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 proposes a series of measures to expand the use of controlled burns as a tool for wildfire prevention.

More Money and a Skilled Workforce Are Among the Proposals

The legislation proposed that the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior receive additional funding to carry out prescribed burns and increase the number of acres treated each year.

The bill also calls for the creation of a workforce development program to hone the skills of a team to conduct safe burn practices and, in an effort to streamline operations, encourages closer coordination between land managers and air quality agencies, potentially allowing for larger burns.

Additionally, the legislation will give states greater flexibility to conduct prescribed burns during winter months, when cool, wet weather makes for safer conditions.