Governor Kotek Declares State of Emergency Due to Imminent Threat of Wildfire
PRESS RELEASE
July 16, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Governor Tina Kotek Press Office
[email protected]
Oregon State Fire Marshal, Public Affairs
[email protected]
OEM Public Information
[email protected]
Governor Kotek Declares State of Emergency Due to Imminent Threat of Wildfire
Declaration allows responders to use all necessary and appropriate resources of the state to support wildfire response.
Salem, OR — Today, Governor Tina Kotek declared a State of Emergency due to the imminent threat of wildfire beginning on July 16, 2025, lasting through the calendar year.
“Oregon is already experiencing a devastating wildfire season that will have lasting consequences. The summer is only getting hotter, drier, and more dangerous – we have to be prepared for worsening conditions,” Governor Kotek said.
“I am declaring a State of Emergency to access state resources for communities across Oregon as we respond to this year’s escalating wildfire season. All Oregonians should follow local instructions and evacuation levels issued by emergency officials, subscribe to emergency alerts on ORAlert.gov, have an evacuation plan, prepare a go-kit, and stay aware of changing conditions.”
A link to Executive Order 25-16 can be found here.
Following ORS 401.165 et seq., Governor Kotek determined that Oregon is in a critical fire danger situation, threatening life, safety, and property because of extreme high temperatures. The state has already experienced wildfires this season resulting in six state conflagration declarations and two federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) declarations, several community evacuations, threatened and damaged structures, and critical infrastructure.
Oregon’s neighboring states of California, Idaho, and Washington continue to experience similar fires and weather. The extended weather forecast for Oregon predicts ongoing warm and dry conditions, creating an imminent fire threat across a large portion of the state.
This declaration directs Oregon state agencies to support access to and use of personnel and equipment of all state agencies, including the deployment of the National Guard, necessary to assess, alleviate, respond to, lessen, or recover from conditions caused by this emergency and to meet requests by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), and/or county and sovereign tribal nation emergency management to support response needs to respond to or lessen the effects of, the wildfire emergency as described in the state’s Emergency Operations Plan.
Those who believe they have been charged excessively high prices for essential consumer goods during this emergency are encouraged to report violations to the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection Services, which has the authority to investigate unlawful trade practices.
###
