Oregon Legislature repeals contested wildfire hazard map

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers have voted to repeal the state’s contentous wildfire hazard map, which subjected homeowners in certain areas at high risk of wildfires to stricter building codes and requirements to reduce vegetation on their properties.

The measure passed the state House with just one vote against Tuesday, after passing the state Senate unanimously in April. Republicans had called for the map’s repeal throughout the legislative session and accused Democrats of stalling it. The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.

“Despite an incredibly frustrating political process, we appreciate the members who have chosen to do the right thing in repealing these maps,” Republican House Minority Leader Christine Drazan said.

She added in her statement that the maps had created “chaos” in rural areas.

An updated version of the state-developed maps released earlier this year created new rules for those living in the most fire-prone areas that also border wildlands such as forests or grasslands. The building and so-called defensible space provisions impacted 6% of the state’s roughly 1.9 million tax lots, a reduction from an earlier version developed in 2022 but retracted after homeowners raised concerns that it would increase insurance premiums.

The building codes were set to require new construction in high hazard areas in the so-called wildland-urban interface to have fire-resistant features, and to apply to existing homes if certain upgrades were made.

The bill passed by the Legislature revokes those defensible space and building code requirements, instead directing state agencies to create model codes that local governments can choose to adopt.

The two maps showing wildfire hazard levels and the wildland-urban interface were released by the Oregon Department of Forestry and developed by Oregon State University scientists.

Under a state law passed in 2023, insurers cannot use a wildfire hazard map produced by a state agency to cancel or decline to renew a homeowner insurance policy, or to increase premiums. But many who opposed the maps said they were flawed and placed burdens on homeowners.

Experts who worked on the maps said they were an important step in identifying and protecting fire-prone areas as the state continues to contend with record-breaking wildfires. Oregon’s wildfire season last year was a record in terms of cost and acres burned, and wind-fueled blazes over Labor Day weekend in 2020 killed nine people and destroyed thousands of homes.

California, Arizona and New Mexico have had wildfire hazard maps for years. Last year, lawmakers in Washington state ordered the creation of a statewide wildfire risk map, and in 2023, Colorado passed a law establishing a wildfire resiliency code board.