Cost of Fighting Wildfires in Oregon Far Ahead of Last Year’s Pace

The estimated cost of fighting Oregon wildfires this summer stands at more than $180 million.

That’s $30 million more than at the same time last year.

The Mail Tribune reported that 75 percent of those dollars have been spent on fires in southern Oregon, where remote and rugged wilderness areas have made it particularly difficult to stamp out more than a dozen major blazes.

The money spent on fire suppression pays for crews, equipment, supplies and expensive aerial support.