The Oregon State Fire Marshal has announced the recipients of the 2025 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant, a program now in its fourth year that aims to bolster local fire agencies’ capabilities during wildfire season. This initiative, which supports many agencies that rely on volunteer crews, enables the hiring of additional firefighters to enhance emergency response efforts across the state, the agency said.
“The OSFM wildfire season staffing grants have greatly improved our response capabilities and those in neighboring districts,” said Coburg Fire District Chief Chad Minter. “With this funding, we can staff a wildland engine daily during fire season with two additional firefighters who respond to all fires and support five nearby districts. When not on calls, the crew assists with recruitment, training, outreach, and prevention.
This staffing makes up 50% of our rapid response and is essential to keeping fires small. These grants are a smart investment.” Local fire agencies were eligible to apply for up to $35,000 to increase staffing levels during the fire season. Each summer, this grant adds more than 1,500 firefighters across Oregon. The Oregon legislature allocated $6 million to the program this year.
