UKIAH, Ore. — As Oregon’s record 2024 wildfire season rages on, with over 1.4 million acres burned in the state as of Aug. 13, firefighters and forest rangers are already preparing for prolonged battles that will continue into September and October.

Roughly 1,000 people are currently fighting the Battle Mountain Complex — a group of fires near the northeast corner of the state that have burned over 180,000 acres across five counties.

That work includes shuttling water to the front lines, thinning trees and vegetation and constructing fuel breaks to reduce flammable materials in the Umatilla National Forest, where several fires continue to burn.

“In the last 25 years, I’ve never seen a July like this one, especially in eastern Oregon,” said Jeromy Wilson, a fire management officer for the Heppner Ranger District. “There’s a lot of fire on the landscape, and fire season is far from over. Lightning season is far from over.”

Ranchers face hardship

Fires in eastern Oregon have ravaged the livelihoods of many of the region’s cattle and livestock ranchers, who represent the second largest agricultural industry in the state.

Countless animals have been killed or displaced by the fires, while thousands of acres of public and private grazing lands have been burned.

Forests like the Umatilla often provide summer pastures for cattle, said Doug McKay, the Heppner district ranger. Many national forests in the state have grazing allotments, which ranchers rent to graze their cattle.

Coming challenges

The rekindling of burned timber is a major concern as the fire season progresses. While it’s harder for grasslands to reignite, the opposite is true for forests, which contain heavier fuels that burn longer, McKay said.

He added that the early start to the 2024 season means that moisture in the vegetation won’t recover as quickly as in previous years.

“Any shift in the weather, an east or south wind event, anything like that would create a rekindle,” McKay said. “The fire will skunk around in there just waiting for an opportunity to come out.”

Oregon’s bow hunting season, which usually begins in late August, could also present challenges in the region. Many of the lands used by hunters could be closed or access to them limited due to fire risk — leading to more hunting groups being packed into smaller areas.

Hunting and other forms of recreation can be risky during fire season, if individuals don’t pay attention to restrictions, Wilson said.

“Historically speaking, locally, most of the fires around here are not human-caused, they’re usually lightning-driven,” said Stacy Lauritsen, a forest officer for the district. “But that (closure of hunting lands) may be one human factor we haven’t been used to.”

Human-caused fires are often more dangerous than natural ones caused by lightning or other factors. While firefighters have high-tech maps to detect and combat lightning strikes early, the same isn’t true for human starts, which are more unpredictable, according to Wilson.

“Really pay attention to what the fire dangers are, the restrictions. Check in with the local offices,” Wilson said. “Everybody would want to enjoy a campfire in the woods, but there’s a time it’s allowed and a place for it. So do your due diligence before going out.”

Preventive measures

Landowners and community members can take common-sense steps to protect their properties and surroundings from fire risk, said Stacy Lauritsen, a forest officer for the Heppner district. They include:

• Using yard machinery during cooler times of day, and avoiding potential sparks in dry areas.

• Removing tree brush and low-hanging branches that could help fire to spread upward.

• Placing canvas tarps over wood sheds, porches and other openings where embers can spread.

• Removing decorative outdoor furniture and plastics.

• Placing screens over vents.

• Leaving doors unlocked if necessary for firefighters to enter and protect structures.