As Wildfire Awareness Month Ends, State Fire Marshal Celebrates One Year Partnership Anniversary With IBHS - 05/27/26

SALEM, Ore. – As Wildfire Awareness Month comes to a close, the Oregon State Fire Marshal is urging all Oregonians to carry this momentum into the summer wildfire season by taking proactive steps to protect their homes and communities.

“Wildfire risk doesn’t end in May; preparedness is a year‑round commitment,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “We’re working closely with communities and partners to help Oregonians become more resilient.”

This May also marks one year since the Oregon State Fire Marshal partnered with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) to increase wildfire resilience across the state. A memorandum of understanding, signed on May 2, 2025, continues to guide joint efforts to bring cutting‑edge wildfire research and practical tools directly to Oregon communities.

Over the past year, the Oregon State Fire Marshal and IBHS have worked closely to integrate wildfire research, expand training, and support local preparedness initiatives.

• The Oregon State Fire Marshal is working in collaboration to harness the power of IBHS research to inform its grant programs, investments, and information to get Oregonians better prepared for wildfire.
• In June 2025, the OSFM and IBHS held a live demonstration burn in Salem to show how defensible space and home hardening can dramatically increase a home’s chances of surviving a wildfire.
• In May 2026, the state fire marshal launched an educational campaign focused on the first five feet around a home. This campaign is guided by IBHS research.
• IBHS research about the immediate 0–5-foot zone is incorporated in Oregon’s new model defensible space code, available for local adoption.
• IBHS continues to serve as a peer reviewer for agency training programs, including the CORE program, a training for community partners to use the best available science to increase wildfire resilience at the neighborhood level.
• Several workshops, preparedness events, field tours, and other events have been hosted through the partnership to ensure every Oregonian knows about the importance of wildfire preparedness

As summer approaches, the Oregon State Fire Marshal is encouraging every Oregonian to take simple, effective actions to reduce wildfire risk, especially within the first five feet of the home.

“Our partnership with IBHS is helping us bring the best available science directly to the people we serve,” said Ruiz-Temple. “Together, we’re taking meaningful steps that make Oregon communities safer, one foot at a time.”

“The work of the Oregon State Fire Marshal and IBHS is putting the state in the best possible position to be prepared as we look ahead to future wildfire seasons,” said Oregon Insurance Commissioner TK Keen, who is also the administrator of the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR). “By integrating the best available wildfire science with Oregon-specific data, we are developing real solutions to wildfire risks that affect so many people and the cost of their insurance. Keeping insurance affordable and available is a top priority for our agencies, and this collaboration continues to help property owners and policymakers as we deal with the risks of wildfires.”

For more resources, a free defensible space assessment, and other tools, visit preventwildfires.oregon.gov.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF THE OREGON STATE FIRE MARSHAL

Since 1917, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has been dedicated to protecting people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials. The agency works with local fire agencies, communities, and other partners to strengthen fire prevention, preparedness, and response statewide.

Please note: the Oregon State Fire Marshal is no longer an office after becoming an independent state agency in 2023.

Oregon State Fire Marshal Finalizes Defensible Space Model Code - 05/19/26

Salem, Ore. – The Oregon State Fire Marshal finalized Oregon’s defensible space model code, completing a multi-year effort directed by the Oregon Legislature to give communities clear, research-based guidelines for increasing wildfire resiliency. The code is available for voluntary adoption by cities, counties, and fire agencies.

The model code outlines straightforward steps property owners can take to create and maintain defensible space. Defensible space is the buffer you create between your home and the surrounding grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area. Proper defensible space can slow or stop the spread of wildfire and help protect your home.

These practices include maintaining a five-foot noncombustible zone next to structures, clearing dead vegetation, spacing trees appropriately, and removing ladder fuels that can carry flames from the ground into tree canopies.

What the Model Code Does

• Gives Oregonians a consistent and practical approach for reducing wildfire dangers around homes, businesses, and communities.  
• Provides Oregon‑specific guidance, such as how to space trees, remove dead vegetation, and maintain landscaping to slow the spread of fire.
• Uses nationally recognized wildfire safety standards as its foundation, ensuring the guidance is reliable and based on established best practices.

With wildfires affecting more communities across Oregon each year, the defensible space model code gives practical tools to support community preparedness.

Jurisdictions considering adoption of the model defensible space code will notify the OSFM using the notification form at defensiblespace.oregon.gov. More technical guidance is available from the OSFM upon request.

The OSFM offers free defensible space assessments to all Oregonian homeowners, renters, and businesses. These assessments are advisory only and offer customized defensible space recommendations to your home or business by the OSFM or your local fire agency.

For more information about defensible space and wildfire preparedness, or to request a free defensible space home assessment visit defensiblespace.oregon.gov and preventwildfires.oregon.gov. 

About the Oregon State Fire Marshal

The Oregon State Fire Marshal became an independent state agency in July 2023. The agency is dedicated to protecting people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials. The Oregon State Fire Marshal works with local fire agencies, communities, and other partners to strengthen fire prevention, preparedness, and response statewide. Please note: the Oregon State Fire Marshal is no longer an office.

Oregon State Fire Marshal Calls For Oregonians To Take Simple Steps To Prepare For Wildfire (Photo) - 05/04/26

• Removing leaves, pine needles, and other combustible material from the roof, gutters, and deck (on and under) to prevent embers from igniting the home
• Covering vents with 1/8" metal wire mesh to prevent embers from entering the home
• Removing or relocating combustible items such as furniture, cushions, trash cans, and rugs at least five feet from the house
• Choosing options like gravel or pavers instead of bark mulch within the first five feet of the house
• Keeping lawns lean, clean, and green during fire season

State Fire Marshal Announces 2026 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant Recipients (Photo) - 05/01/26

In preparation for the upcoming wildfire season, the Oregon State Fire Marshal has awarded nearly $6 million in grants to boost response staffing across Oregon. The agency’s 2026 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant was awarded to 180 local fire agencies, providing up to $35,000 to bring on extra firefighters through October.

“Over the years, we have offered this grant to the Oregon fire service, and it has been a game changer,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “The Oregon fire service has been able to prevent fires from escalating to a much larger, more costly regional or statewide responses.”

Local fire agencies can use the funding to hire seasonal firefighters or pay for additional shift work. The goal of the grant is to reduce response times and keep fires small and from impacting Oregon communities.

The wildfire season staffing grant is in its fifth year and each summer proves to be a valuable investment in the Oregon fire service. Smaller, rural fire agencies that may depend on volunteers for response are prioritized in the grant process. Having dedicated staff has led to several agencies being able to respond to other life-safety emergencies.

“I can say without hesitation this grant had a direct and immediate impact on our ability to respond to the Alder Springs and Flat fires in 2025,” Fire Chief Sean Hartley with Crooked River Ranch Fire and Rescue said. “The additional personnel funded by the grant meant we had more firefighters available when these large incidents occurred. This support strengthened our operational readiness when it mattered most.”

A list of recipient agencies can be found on the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s website. Recognizing the importance of this grant, the Oregon Legislature has allocated funding for the grant in 2027.

ABOUT THE OREGON STATE FIRE MARSHAL

The Oregon State Fire Marshal became an independent state agency in July 2023. The agency is dedicated to protecting people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials. The Oregon State Fire Marshal works with local fire agencies, communities, and other partners to strengthen fire prevention, preparedness, and response statewide. Please note: the Oregon State Fire Marshal is no longer an office.