Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Oregon burns, Portlanders shrug: It's just 'wildfire season' — get used to it

theblaze.com · 9h · first reportShare

Here in Portland, we’ve had a bad week of wildfire smoke. It’s been at DON’T GO OUTSIDE levels. You literally feel the ache in your chest. Your eyes begin to burn. This recent event brought to mind the Great Portland Smoke-Out of 2020 , which followed the most devastating and deadly wildfires in Oregon history. I went to relax in a lounge chair by the hotel pool. But as I lay there, I noticed the sky slowly change from blue, to a dull yellow, and then to a reddish gray. Thanks to that ordeal, people know what to do during smoke events. They stay inside. They wear masks. They seal their doors and windows. One thing I noticed during this year’s wildfire emergency: There’s been little talk about what anyone could have done to prevent it. After 2020, Oregon spent nearly $200 million on wildfire prevention and preparedness. The state promised more prescribed burns, more fuel reduction, and more resilient forests. Six years later, there’s plenty of bureaucracy devoted to wildfire, but it’s h