MEDFORD, Ore. (May. 12, 2026) — The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest Oregon District announced Tuesday that fire season will officially begin Friday, May 15, across Jackson and Josephine counties as officials warn of increasingly dry conditions and elevated wildfire risk heading into summer.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, the fire danger level will be set at “Low” and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will move to Level I. The declaration affects approximately 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forestlands across the two counties.
Forestry officials said winter and spring precipitation totals are tracking slightly below normal, while snowpack across Southern Oregon remains minimal. Combined with ongoing drought conditions in both counties, officials said vegetation is drying earlier than usual, increasing the likelihood of fires starting and spreading sooner in the season.
As part of the fire season declaration, several restrictions aimed at reducing human-caused fires will take effect Friday.
Debris burning, including burn piles and burn barrels, will be prohibited. Fireworks will also be banned on or within one-eighth of a mile of lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The use of exploding targets, tracer ammunition and bullets containing pyrotechnic charges will also be prohibited.
Campfires will continue to be allowed in designated campgrounds, on Bureau of Land Management property and on private property with the landowner’s permission. Officials said anyone using open fires or appliances must have either a shovel and at least one gallon of water or a 2½-pound fire extinguisher readily available.
Portable cooking appliances fueled by liquified or bottled fuels, including camp stoves and propane fire pits, will remain allowed when used in areas cleared of flammable vegetation. Charcoal and pellet barbecues or smokers will only be permitted at fully developed residential home sites in maintained and landscaped areas, with a charged garden hose or fire extinguisher immediately available.
ODF defines a cleared area as one free of flammable vegetation for at least 50 feet in all directions.
Smoking restrictions will also take effect. Smoking while traveling will only be permitted inside enclosed vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water or in specifically designated locations.
Officials said electric fence controllers must be approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or certified by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services and installed according to fire-safe operating instructions.
Industrial fire regulations will also increase under IFPL I requirements. Forestry officials said a firewatch will now be required for industrial operations unless specifically waived.
The Southwest Oregon District oversees one of the most fire-prone regions in the state, where significant wildfires have repeatedly threatened homes, infrastructure and timberlands in recent years.
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