Oregon lawmakers approve $218M in emergency wildfire funding

Oregon lawmakers approve $218M in emergency wildfire funding in special session
Oregon lawmakers are convening for a special session to discuss emergency wildfire funding after a record wildfire season in the state.
Gov. Kotek signs $218 million wildfire funding bill, passed by Oregon lawmakers in one-day special session
Gov. Tina Kotek on Friday signed Senate Bill 5801, passed in Thursday’s legislative special session, that allocates $218 million to the Department of Forestry and the Oregon State Fire Marshal to pay for costs associated with the 2024 wildfire season.
Oregon lawmakers approve rush of wildfire funds in speedy emergency session
The emergency spending will free up the Oregon Department of Forestry and Office of State Fire Marshal — the two state agencies that predominantly tackle wildfires — to pay contractors who sent machinery and manpower to battle this year’s blazes and support firefighting teams, but have sat unpaid for months.
Oregon lawmakers approve $218 million to fund bill from record-breaking wildfire season
Last summer's historic wildfire season brought record-high costs upwards of $350 million, placing Oregon agencies in a deep financial hole.
Oregon looks to special session to pay 100s of vendors millions of $$$ for wildfire costs
The Oregon Department of Forestry still owes hundreds of vendors more than $98 million for costs incurred during this year's wildfire season.
Oregon isn’t paying its wildfire bills on time. Now legislators must act
The company has worked on wildfires for decades, and Miller says the state routinely pays its bills within 45 days. But this year, some of Miller’s invoices have sat unpaid for double that. Meanwhile, credit he’s taken out to pay his roughly 250 employees for their work on the fires is coming due.
Oregon Legislature approves spending $218 million to cover unpaid wildfire bills
Gov. Kotek called the special session to free up money to pay hundreds of contractors involved in the wildfire season that burned 1.9 million acres.
Oregon approves $218M in emergency wildfire funding
The state spent more than $350 million responding to more than 2,000 wildfires in 2024, far exceeding projected costs and leaving some contractors unpaid.
Oregon lawmakers to vote on funds to pay off debts for historic 2024 wildfire season
The Oregon Department of Forestry had more than 1,800 outstanding invoices totaling $98 million at the beginning of December.
Lawmakers approve hundreds of millions to pay Oregon wildfire bills
Lawmakers stressed that the money is a stopgap cobbled together so the state can pay contractors who helped fight fires this year. Finding long-term solutions to pay for increasingly severe and expensive wildfire seasons will be among the priorities that the Legislature tackles during the 2025 session.
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