Oregon
As wildfire season approaches, budget woes and federal uncertainty put Oregon, Washington and other states’ plans at risk
Budget woes, combined with cuts to the federal wildfire-fighting workforce and President Donald Trump’s tariff and sovereignty threats against Canada, have made it more difficult for state officials to plan for the upcoming wildfire season.
In Washington, a $12 billion budget shortfall prompted majority Democrats in the Legislature this week to propose slicing spending on wildfire prevention and fighting by one-third to two-thirds.
Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove stands for a portrait with young trees at the Webster Forest Nursery Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Olympia, Wash.
Lindsey Wasson / AP
“These massive cuts to wildfire prevention and response increase the threat to public safety — putting lives and homes at greater risk,” state Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Dave Upthegrove told The Associated Press in an email. “The cuts make Washington more likely to experience the kind of horrific scene we saw recently in Southern California.”
As Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency slashes federal spending, the Trump administration withheld money for wildfire mitigation in several states and then fired thousands of workers involved in firefighting from various agencies. Those included rangers in the Forest Service and weather forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some were rehired under a court order, but many were then immediately placed on administrative leave.
Washington State Forester George Geissler, who has decades of wildland firefighting experience, said the officials who fired federal workers don’t understand the roles they play in fighting fires. Although they don’t have “firefighter” listed as their job title, they all undergo special wildland firefighting training that enables them to respond to a fire when needed, he said.
Meanwhile, tensions between the U.S. and Canada over Trump’s proposed tariffs and calls to make the country the U.S.’s 51st state have also complicated wildfire planning, especially in border states, Geissler said. Washington state has maintained a solid relationship with British Columbia for decades, but it’s unclear how firefighting will work if the borders are closed due to federal tensions, he said.
“In wildfire, we like to say we can bring order to chaos,” he said. ”But the hard part has been that things are changing so quickly and doing such dramatic swings, it’s hard to anticipate and plan.”
State and local budget woes have compounded those concerns.
Wildfire season in the West can run as early as April through November, while drier and hotter conditions linked to climate change have increased their intensity. These conditions have also sparked recent wildfires burning in the Carolinas, New Jersey, Florida and Texas.
FILE – A firefighter douses flames in the Falls Fire north of Burns, Oregon in this July 21, 2024 file photo. The fire, along with dozens of others, made Oregon’s 2024 wildfire season the state’s most expensive on record. Worried about costs this year, Oregon lawmakers have said finding new revenue sources for combating wildfires is a key issue in this year’s legislative session.
Courtesy of Rachel Brozovich / Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office
Oregon and California lawmakers boost wildfire spending
Lawmakers in Oregon held a special session in December to approve $218 million in emergency wildfire funding. The 2024 wildfire season was the state’s most expensive on record, and the funds paid contractors who helped fight the blazes. Lawmakers have said finding new revenue sources for combating wildfires is a key issue in this year’s legislative session.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed spending $325 million on wildfire mitigation efforts next year. Many lawmakers have signaled their support for more investments in wildfire mitigation programs after the deadly fires in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the city council appealed to Sacramento this week for nearly $2 billion in disaster recovery aid at a time when City Hall is facing a nearly $1 billion projected deficit. The request included over $56 million for fire suppression and safety.
Washington state officials grapple with a budget shortfall
Washington state had made fighting wildfires a priority in recent years — passing a bill in 2021 that permanently authorized spending $125 million each two-year budget cycle on response, forest restoration and communities. Those projects ensured that 95% of the state’s wildfires were held to 10 acres (4 hectares) or less, officials said.
“That’s some of the best money that we can spend,” said Sen. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham. Oregon and Washington had about the same number of fires last year, but while 2 million acres (810,000 hectares) burned in Oregon, only about 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares) burned in Washington, she said.
When newly elected Gov. Bob Ferguson took office, he told lawmakers that state agencies needed to reduce spending by at least $4 billion and asked each department, including Natural Resources, to find ways to reduce spending by 6%.
A budget proposal from Washington House Democrats this week came in $85 million short of the $125 million that had been allocated for the previous two two-year budget cycles, while the Senate’s was $40 million short of that target.
The Washington State Council of Firefighters said the budget proposals would make it less safe for their members.
“Any cuts to funding for wildfire suppression and forest resiliency is going to be detrimental to the response to wildfire incidents for both the DNR and all fire service firefighters across the state of Washington,” Jeff Wainwright, a council spokesperson, told the AP.
The House and Senate proposals exceed Ferguson’s request, and instability at the federal level will magnify the shortages, said Michael Kelly, a DNR spokesperson.
“Our federal partners are behind on training and they’re behind on funding and they’re cutting staff,” Kelly said. “Knowing that we’re dealing with federal partners who can’t bring as much to the table this year, we hoped the Legislature would be able to give us the full amounts.”
Deputy Majority Leader Larry Springer, who authored the 2021 bill that allocated $125 million for wildfires, said he understands the need for funding, but the state’s fiscal challenges forced lawmakers to focus the money on one part of firefighting — the initial attack — and try to refocus on things like forest thinning and prescribed burns that help prevent fires in the next few years.
“Given the fact that we don’t have enough money to do all of that now, it’s a matter of which ones are the most important right now in the short term,” he said.
Washington Rep. Tom Dent, a Moses Lake Republican who has authored many wildfire-fighting bills over the years, said the state needs to ensure that it funds its initial attack and frontline firefighting programs.
“I’m relatively fiscally conservative,” Dent told the AP. “But you have to recognize there are times when you spend money to save money. This is one of those times.”
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Associated Press reporters Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; and Michael Blood in Los Angeles contributed.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon officials asked the public to help find a two-year-old boy who went missing from Portland last Wednesday, June 17.
The Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division, is asking the public to help find Armani Andrews and call 911 or local law enforcement if they believe they saw him.
Armani is believed to be in danger and is suspected to be in Portland, around any of the following areas: Rose Haven, Multnomah County Central Library, or Southeast Portland around 82nd-103rd.
Armani is a two-year-old Black/mixed race baby. He is about 24 inches tall, he has brown hair, brown eyes, and his weight is unknown.
If contacting Portland Police Bureau about Armani, reference the case number: #PP185430
The report number for Armani with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Report is: 2093182
ODHS said in a statement when a child is missing, they may be in significant danger and the department “may need to locate them to assess and support their safety.”
KATU News reached out to ODHS to clarify whether there is a custody aspect to the missing child’s case. The department said they are unable to provide that information.
Armani Andrews with Mother Rashonda Andrews/ODHS photos
You can report suspected child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). The toll-free number allows anyone to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and every day of the year.
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KATU News included photographs of Armani to help the public identify and find him.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — President Donald Trump campaigned on carrying out what he called the largest deportation operation in American history.
After taking office, his administration quickly ramped up immigration enforcement. Border czar Tom Homan also pledged to focus on so-called sanctuary cities, including Portland. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, more than 675,000 people were deported in 2025, while the agency says more than 2 million people “self-deported.”
READ ALSO | Supreme Court hands Trump immigration wins, but birthright citizenship might be different
In Oregon, state data shows state and local agencies experienced a 265% increase in immigration-related requests from federal authorities last year.
So what does that mean for Oregon’s economy?
The state’s chief economist says the effects are beginning to emerge.
Carl Riccadonna, Oregon’s state economist, said immigration enforcement actions are influencing consumer spending and activity across several key industries, though the state cannot yet quantify the overall impact.
“What we’re seeing in terms of immigration action is playing out in either consumption patterns, which we’ve seen in some communities, or in industrial or sectoral activity,” Riccadonna said. “This does then have implications for how we are reading the overall macroeconomy and putting together that revenue forecast.”
Portland police officers walk outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Riccadonna said the effects extend beyond agriculture, an industry that has historically relied on immigrant labor.
“We have certainly, in sector-by-sector analysis, we’re hearing evidence of impacts from immigration in consumption numbers, so retail, groceries, those sorts of things,” Riccadonna said. “There are also significant impacts in the retail sector and leisure and hospitality, restaurants and construction, important legacy industries of Oregon like timber, forestry … and manufacturing has a very large footprint as well.”
While the state is seeing those trends, Riccadonna said economists cannot yet calculate exactly how much immigration enforcement has affected Oregon’s economy.
“We haven’t done an exercise to say, well, this is what the forecast would have been otherwise. We don’t produce counterfactuals … but there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence from the cherry harvest this past summer and stresses elsewhere throughout those specific sectors,” he said.
National data offers additional context.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the recent immigration surge — which the report says mostly comprises immigrants who were not lawful permanent residents, were not eligible to apply for lawful permanent residency based on their current status, and were not admitted on a temporary basis under the Immigration and Nationality Act — generated approximately $10 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2023. During that same period, governments spent nearly $19 billion on services such as schools, shelters and border security.
A damaged car is seen as law enforcement officials work the scene following reports that federal immigration officers shot and wounded people in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
The Congressional Budget Office also projects the immigration surge that began in 2023 will increase the U.S. labor force by approximately 5.8 million people by 2034 and boost the nation’s economic output by nearly $9 trillion over the next decade.
Riccadonna said Oregon expects to gain a clearer picture of the economic effects as more tax and revenue data becomes available.
This story is part of KATU’s “The Cost of the Crackdown” special, which examines how increased immigration enforcement is affecting Oregon, from businesses and workers to the state’s broader economy.
Oregon Army National Guard soldiers tested a new method of clearing battlefield obstacles during annual training this week by using a heavy-lift drone to remotely deliver and detonate a live explosive charge.
The proof-of-concept demonstration took place June 22 and was led by soldiers with Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
The exercise focused on using an unmanned aircraft to carry a live Bangalore torpedo — an explosive device designed to clear wire obstacles — allowing engineers to breach barriers while remaining farther from potential enemy threats.
Army engineers are responsible for creating safe routes for friendly forces by clearing obstacles such as concertina wire and minefields. Traditionally, placing explosive charges requires soldiers to move close to enemy positions, increasing their exposure to danger.
During the demonstration, a heavy-lift drone carried the explosive charge to a wire obstacle before remotely detonating it, successfully creating a lane through the barrier.
The project was the result of several months of planning by the battalion’s drone working group under the direction of battalion commander Lt. Col. Eric Zimmerman. The unit partnered with Ashland-based Lorica Technologies, which provided the heavy-lift drone used during the demonstration.
Lt. Col. Zimmerman said recent conflicts have highlighted the importance of adapting new technologies for the battlefield.
“Watching what’s happening in Ukraine and seeing how innovative they’ve been inspires you to get better and think bigger,” Lt. Col. Zimmerman said.
The team conducted multiple tests before the live demonstration, beginning with inert training devices before progressing to live explosives. Officials said the final test successfully delivered and detonated a two-section Bangalore torpedo.
Lt. Col. Zimmerman credited the project’s success to collaboration between battalion leadership and the soldiers responsible for carrying out the mission.
“I’m really proud,” Lt. Col. Zimmerman said. “The Soldiers of Bravo Company took an idea from the battalion staff and applied their expertise to make that idea functional and effective.”
Military officials said the demonstration highlights how the Oregon Army National Guard is incorporating emerging unmanned aircraft technology into engineer operations. Lessons learned from the project are expected to help shape future training and the Army’s continued integration of drones into combat engineering missions.
The Oregon Army National Guard is made up of citizen-soldiers who serve part time while maintaining civilian careers, attending school or raising families. In addition to federal deployments, Guard members respond to state emergencies such as wildfires, floods and winter storms when activated by the governor.
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