This photo provided by the Oregon Department of Forestry shows a firefighting tanker making a retardant drop over the Grandview Fire near Sisters on Sunday, July 11, 2021. 

The entire state of Oregon was officially in fire season as of July 1.

“This means that fire restrictions and danger levels may be in place where you live or at a destination you plan on recreating to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires,” the Oregon Department of Forestry announced Wednesday.

The higher levels of fire restrictions and danger levels protect 16 million acres of private, county, state, and federal land, the agency said.

Most districts enter fire season in May or June and come out at the end of the season in October. In 2023, the Southwest Oregon district was the first to declare fire season on June 1. The North Cascade District was the last to declare on July 1.

“We are experiencing some active fire behavior for this early in the season,” said Mike Shaw, fire protection division chief. “Heading into late summer, which historically has higher fire activity, ODF is ready to protect Oregon lands.”

ODF is taking applications for a grant program it administers for which the Legislature has set aside $10 million in funding for 2023-25. Projects must show how they will reduce the risk of wildfires.

“The Landscape Resiliency Program grants are for large projects and emphasize collaboration and mitigation of wildfire risk,” said Jenna Trentadue, ODF’s state initiatives grant coordinator. “The minimum award is $300,000, so we highly encourage joint projects to treat large areas.”

Earlier grants went to projects such as the Ashland Forest all-lands restoration and the Upper John Day Valley landscape resiliency project.