Published 9:59 am Wednesday, May 6, 2026 SALEM—Oregon’s wildfire season started early this year and is expected to last into October, according to state fire experts. The season is made more difficult by historic heat, drought and a potentially early El Niño weather pattern that could further stir up temperatures and lightning storms into the fall, fire officials said at a Tuesday news conference with Gov. Tina Kotek. Oregonians need to be proactive about protecting themselves and their properties from wildfire and behave far more cautiously when starting campfires or burning debris than in recent years, they advised. “It’s not one thing that brings the wildfire season, it’s many things,” Kotek said. Although May is officially Wildfire Awareness Month, the season’s first Level 3 fire — meaning residents were ordered to evacuate immediately — occurred in La Pine in March, burning 20 acres. “All indications suggest a more challenging fire season ahead of all of us,” Kotek said.…