ODF warns of early, active fire season; outlines readiness, resource and budget changes

Chief of Fire Protection Michael Curran and Deputy Chief Ron Graham told the board that unusually dry winter and spring conditions have put the state several weeks ahead of a normal fire season and that analog years like 2015 and 2018 suggest a very active summer ahead.

Curran said statewide snowpack and moisture are well below normal and that the state is "a good 3 to 4 weeks ahead of schedule" for receptive fuels and fire behavior. He and Graham described forecasting tools, national analogs, and detection assets; Graham reviewed current fire statistics and said the state is tracking roughly 287 fires and about 5,500 acres year‑to‑date and reiterated the agency's goal to keep most fires small. ODF highlighted a new multi‑mission aircraft purchased through bond funds that will provide infrared detection and mapping, and discussed staffing and partner agreements for aviation and complex incident management.

The meeting also included a multi‑part briefing on Forest Protection Association district budgets and House Bill 3940, which staff said rediverts some funding to provide landowner rate relief and moves certain readiness and large‑fire costs onto the general fund. James Short (agency CFO) said the legislature appropriated general fund dollars for protection readiness and that ODF is monitoring Biennial expenditures; staff said updated FY27 district rates were presented and that the board approved the district and association protection budgets and prorated acreage rates at the meeting.

Board members questioned resource drawdown risks, aviation capacity reductions, and the sustainability of large‑fire funding; staff described new finance mechanisms and lines of credit to manage cash flow and said the agency will continue regular fiscal monitoring through the biennium.