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Eugene fire chiefs report quieter 2025 season so far, fuels-reduction program expands with grants
Summary
Eugene Fire leaders told council the 2025 fire season has been less severe in acreage than 2024, described mutual-aid deployments, new technology (AI cameras and drones), and detailed progress on an 18‑month wildfire fuels-management program funded by the community safety payroll tax and federal/state grants.
Fire Chief Dan Capen and Deputy Chief Travis Worthington updated the Eugene City Council on wildfire activity, mutual-aid deployments and the wildfire fuels-management program during the Sept. 17, 2025 work session. City officials said 2025 has produced fewer large conflagrations and burned acreage than 2024, while the city is expanding defensible-space assessments and fuels-reduction projects funded partly by recent grants.
The chiefs gave data on incidents and deployments and described technology the department is using. Chief Capen said Eugene–Springfield crews deployed to five out-of-area fires in 2025, with 19 members on those deployments for a total of 51 staff-days on the fire line. He told council the statewide conflagration tallies fell from 16 conflagrations and about 1.3 million acres in 2024 to seven conflagrations and roughly 128,000 acres in 2025 so far.
Deputy Chief Travis Worthington…
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