Hubbry Logo
search
search button
Sign in
Historyarrow-down
starMorearrow-down
Hubbry Logo
search
search button
Sign in
2023 Oregon wildfires
Community hub for the Wikipedia article
logoWikipedian hub
Welcome to the community hub built on top of the 2023 Oregon wildfires Wikipedia article. Here, you can discuss, collect, and organize anything related to 2023 Oregon wildfires. The purpose of the hub is to connect people, foster deeper knowledge, and help improve the root Wikipedia article.
Add your contribution
Inside this hub
2023 Oregon wildfires

2023 Oregon wildfires
alt=Top: A satellite image shows smoke covering parts of a forested landscape. Bottom: In a photo taken from an aircraft, beige and white smoke rises from a broad area of green forest in rugged terrain, forming a thick cloud.
Smoke from Oregon wildfires seen in a NASA image taken August 15 by the Terra satellite
Date(s)
  • January 1 –
  • December 31, 2023
Statistics
Total fires1,731
Total area259,725 acres (105,107 ha)
Map
Map
Map of 2023 Oregon wildfires (map data)
← 2022
2024 →

This article is a summary of the 2023 Oregon wildfire season, comprising the series of significant wildfires that have burned in the U.S. state of Oregon since the beginning of the calendar year. Fire season officially began in all areas of the state by July 1, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). As of September 5, 2023, the state had recorded 1,731 fires, which had burned a total of 159,991 acres (64,746 hectares).[1]

Background

[edit]

"Fire season" in Oregon typically begins in mid-May and ends with the first rains that normally begins in late September. Drought, snowpack levels, and local weather conditions play a role in Oregon's fire season, particularly in Eastern and Southwest Oregon. During peak fire season from July to September, most wildfires are caused by lightning, while ignitions in the early and later parts of the season are related to humans. Warm, dry conditions in summer heighten the wildfire risk. After over 100 years of fire suppression and prevention of all fires, there is now an abundance of fuel. Climate change is leading to a reduced snowpack with an earlier and reduced snowmelt, so there is a higher risk for areas that receive wildfires.[2]

Outlook

[edit]

Fire season in the Pacific Northwest often lasts from May until October.[3] The National Interagency Coordination Center, in its seasonal fire assessment and outlook released in July, forecast above-normal significant fire potential in the Pacific Northwest through September.[4] The August outlook continued this forecast, predicting that "Significant fire potential will be above average for the entire geographic area in August and September. In October, elevated risk of significant fires will shift west of the Cascades due to the likelihood of dry easterly winds in autumn. By November, significant fire risk will decrease back to normal (i.e., low) for the entire geographic area as cooler and wetter weather arrives."[5]: 6 

All Oregon Department of Forestry districts declared the beginning of fire season by July 1.[6] The Northwest Coordination Center upgraded the region's preparedness level (referring to the availability of firefighting resources) from PL 1 to PL 2 on July 3, PL 3 on July 23, PL 4 on August 12, and PL5—the highest level—on August 19.[7]

Impacts

[edit]

Highway closures and wildfire smoke affected businesses in the vicinity of the Smith River Complex fire, burning in northern California and southern Oregon.[8]

List of wildfires

[edit]

The following is a list of Oregon wildfires in 2023 that have burned more than 1,000 acres (400 hectares), have resulted in casualties or significant damage to structures, or have otherwise been notable. Acreage and containment figures may not be up-to-date.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Refs
Madeuce Morrow 2,160 May 15 May 18 Human-caused. [10]
Dillon Creek Klamath 3,119 May 20 June 6 Caused by lightning. This fire was allowed to burn at a low intensity, within a confined footprint, for ecological benefits. Estimated cost of suppression is $1.38 million. [11][12][10]
Hat Rock Umatilla, Walla Walla (WA) 16,816 June 13 June 17 Cause under investigation. Burned in grass and sagebrush, causing evacuations as it burned into Washington. Estimated cost of suppression is $663,000. [13][14][10]
Alder Creek Wheeler 1,551 July 6 July 15 Cause under investigation. Estimated cost of suppression is $2 million. [15][16][10]
Devil's Butte Gilliam 2,859 July 10 July 18 Caused by lightning. Burned in rangelands and wheat fields, destroying two fire engines. Estimated cost of suppression is $800,000. [17][18][10]
Flat Curry 34,242 July 15 2023 Human-caused; under investigation. Burning partially in the footprint of the 2002 Biscuit Fire. Estimated cost of suppression is $59 million. [19][20][21]
Simnasho Wasco 1,280 July 21 Unknown Cause unknown. Estimated cost of suppression is $2 million. [22][23][21]
Golden Klamath 2,137 July 22 August 6 Cause under investigation. 117 structures destroyed, including at least 43 homes. The fire also damaged six miles of fiber-optic cables and more than 100 power poles in Klamath County. Estimated cost of suppression is $8.5 million. [24][25][26][21][27]
Bedrock Lane 31,590 July 22 October 4 Cause under investigation. Estimated cost of suppression is $50.2 million. [28][29][30][21][10]
Corbie Harney, Malheur 1,141 August 1 August 3 Cause unknown. Estimated cost of suppression is $350,000. [31][32][10]
Lookout Lane, Linn 25,754 August 5 October 11 Caused by lightning. Evacuations in effect. Estimated cost of suppression is $18.2 million. [33][34][10]
Smith River Complex Curry, Josephine, Del Norte (CA) 95,107 August 15 November 17 Burning mostly in California. Caused by lightning. Consists of the Holiday, Diamond, Kelly, and Prescott fires, as well as many smaller fires. [35][36]
Camp Creek Clackamas, Multnomah 2,055 August 24 2023 Caused by lightning. Burning in the Bull Run Watershed in the Mount Hood National Forest. [37][38][10]
Tyee Ridge Complex Douglas 7,945 August 24 2023 Consists of the Cougar Creek Fire, Tyee Mountain Fire, Big Tom Fire, and Lighthouse fires. [39][40]
Chilcoot Douglas 1,940 August 24 2023 Burning in the Umpqua National Forest. [41][42]
Anvil Curry 22,170 August 25 October Burning in the Grassy Knob Wilderness. [43]
Petes Lake Lane 3,254 August 25 2023 Burning in the Three Sisters Wilderness. [44][45]
Cottonwood Canyon Sherman 2,316 August 29 September 2 Burned on both sides of the John Day River. [46][47]
Morgan Lake 2,289 September 18 2023 Burning in the Fremont–Winema National Forest. [48][49]
[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Add your contribution
Related Hubs