State fire agencies brief House committee on growing wildfire risk, mobilizations and funding needs

Mariana Rees Temple, the Oregon State Fire Marshal, and Kyle Williams, deputy director for fire operations at the Oregon Department of Forestry, told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans on Jan. 21 that Oregon’s wildfire risk and response demands have increased rapidly in recent years and that sustained funding, modernization and workforce capacity are top priorities.

Temple, identified as the Oregon State Fire Marshal, described the Department of State Fire Marshal’s mission to protect people, property and the environment from fire and hazardous materials and said the office became an independent Department of State Fire Marshal in 2023. She told the committee the agency administers the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System, which she said comprises about 11,000 structural firefighters across roughly 306 fire departments and three all‑hazards incident management teams. Temple also said the agency supports a statewide engine program that was expanded after 2018 to pre‑position engines in rural areas and areas at higher wildfire risk.

"Our mission is to protect people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials," Temple said, summarizing the agency’s…