The Trump administration has denied federal firefighting assistance grants for two of Oregon's biggest and most costly 2026 wildfires, drawing sharp criticism from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and the state's congressional delegation. The denials come as Oregon battles a record-shattering fire season that has already burned more than 2 million acres, raising urgent questions about the state's ability to cover its share of suppression costs without federal support.

How FEMA Fire Management Assistance Works

Under the federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program, states can apply to FEMA for financial assistance on major wildfires, with the federal government covering 75 percent of eligible suppression costs and the state covering the remaining 25 percent. Governor Kotek applied for FMAGs on five fires this season; FEMA approved three of the applications but denied two, leaving Oregon to absorb the full suppression costs on those incidents.

Oregon officials have not disclosed the precise fires that were denied, but the denials are occurring during a period of unprecedented fire activity in the state. The timing — in the midst of Oregon's worst recorded fire season — has amplified the political stakes of the decision.

Congressional Delegation Responds

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have publicly pushed back on the FEMA denials, calling on the administration to reconsider. Oregon's congressional delegation has argued that the scale and severity of the 2026 season clearly meets the threshold for federal assistance, and that denying grants during a record-breaking disaster year undermines the intent of the FMAG program.

Broader Policy Context

The FEMA grant denials are unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing federal wildfire policy debates. The Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan measure aimed at accelerating forest thinning and prescribed burn activity to reduce fuel loads, cleared the House in January 2025 with support from 64 Democrats but has stalled in the Senate. Separately, discussions about potentially merging the USDA Forest Service's wildland fire operations with other federal agencies have been frozen pending a feasibility study.

Congressional appropriations remain a pressure point as well. A continuing resolution passed for fiscal year 2027 includes provisions allowing wildland fire management accounts to be spent at rates necessary for suppression activities — a recognition that fire costs routinely exceed annual budget projections. With 2026 already on pace to be one of the costliest fire seasons on record, the adequacy of that funding will be tested.

What's at Stake for Oregon

State-level wildfire suppression is an enormous financial burden. Without federal cost-sharing, major fires can cost tens of millions of dollars per incident. Oregon's record 2026 season — with suppression costs accumulating across 33 active large fires — represents a potential fiscal crisis for the state's fire management agencies if federal support remains constrained.

  • FEMA FMAG program: 75% federal / 25% state cost share
  • Oregon applications: 5 filed, 3 approved, 2 denied
  • Oregon 2026 acres burned: 2,014,481+ (new state record)
  • Active large fires in Oregon: 33

For information on the FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant program, visit fema.gov/assistance/public/fire-management.