U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley summed up the new normal for Oregon summers on Monday as state and federal officials briefed him, fellow Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici on preparations for tackling wildfires.

“There’s always a sense of hope and dread during this season,” Merkley said at the kickoff of the morning conference in downtown Portland.

Just two days earlier, a fire ignited along the Deschutes River about two miles south of Maupin, growing to around 1,000 acres by Sunday evening. Central Oregon Fire has deployed multiple tankers and helicopters to battle the blaze, called the Long Bend Fire, and around 5% of the fire was contained as of Monday.

Officials have issued evacuation orders at two campgrounds in the area as well as a Level 2 “Get Set” notice for nearby residences.

Oregon may face an above-average wildfire risk by July and August, experts say.

At the start of Monday’s conference, Northwest Coordination Center meteorologist Jon Bonk explained that Eastern Oregon has received below-normal levels of precipitation in the past few weeks.

“Looking at some of the other past years, plus what we’re seeing this year, we’ve decided to highlight Southeast Oregon as above normal, significant fire potential,” Bonk said.

One of the challenges in meeting that risk is a dearth of firefighters.

Wildfire agencies are struggling with staffing shortages, said Ed Hiatt, assistant director of operations for the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. Forest Service.

Around 20% of Forest Service service jobs in the region are unfilled, Hiatt told the three Democratic members of Congress from Oregon.

Josh O’Connor, regional fire management coordinator at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said some wildland firefighters — both full-time and seasonal — have trouble finding housing.

That goes for both temporary and permanent residences, O’Connor said, pointing to the general lack of affordable homes.

“You could probably find plenty of anecdotes out there where firefighters have to live out of their vehicles or camp,” O’Connor said.

Fire agency officials said the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed by Congress in 2021, helped alleviate some staffing struggles that firefighting agencies in Oregon face. Wildfire firefighter pay was a part of the $5 billion the law awarded for national firefighting needs, Wyden office press secretary Hank Stern said.

O’Connor expressed concern for what would happen once the law’s duration ends in 2026.

“There is some uncertainty of future funding for fuels management and additional funding for firefighters,” O’Connor said.

Wyden said he would continue work to make sure Oregonians received their share of the funding while also proposing new legislation targeting wildfires.

He recently reintroduced the National Prescribed Fire Act of 2024 to Congress, which proposes allocating $300 million to help combat wildfires.

Wildfires have become a pressing, year-round concern for Oregonians, he said.

“Father Time has taught us,” Wyden said, “that with the climate crisis, the fires are bigger, more powerful and not your grandfather’s fires.”

— Sujena Soumyanath is a reporter on The Oregonian/OregonLive’s public safety team. You can reach her at 503-221-4309 or ssoumyanath@oregonian.com.