Portland has just two AI-powered cameras watching for wildfire ignitions across 160 square miles of city, and an energy consultant who studies wildfire risk says that's nowhere near enough if a blaze like the 2025 Eaton Fire ever races through the city's east-side hills.

Robert McCullough, an Eastmoreland economist and former Portland General Electric executive who now consults on wildfire risk, told KGW on Aug. 6 that Portland relies too heavily on 911 calls to pinpoint fires. "The people calling don't know where the fire is, and we had a lot of experience with that in L.A.," he said, referring to the Eaton Fire that killed at least 17 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena, California.

Both cameras sit in Forest Park and are operated by Portland General Electric. McCullough wants the city to add Pano AI-style cameras aimed at the eastside hills, including Oaks Bottom, at roughly $50,000 per camera per year.

At a June 21 presentation at Reed College, he called that figure "not really a major cost" compared with potential losses. At least three small wildfires were fought in Oaks Bottom in 2025, according to The Bee.

McCullough also identified Forest Park, the West Hills, Powell Butte and the Willamette Bluffs among Portland's highest-risk wildfire areas.

Portland Fire & Rescue's wildfire planning manager, Alan Fitzpatrick, disagrees that more cameras are the answer. He told KGW that in a dense urban setting, residents spot fires quickly and give dispatchers precise locations. "Here in the urban center of Portland, we get really good information from people very quickly," Fitzpatrick said. "Our crews are out the door with great information from where the fire is, rather than, 'Hey, there is some smoke.'"

Where they agree: staffing

McCullough and Fitzpatrick both said keeping Portland Fire staffed at roughly 800 firefighters is critical. The bureau faces up to $4 million in potential budget cuts, according to KGW, and both warned that fewer firefighters could leave the city exposed when multiple emergencies hit at once.

The threat isn't hypothetical. Portland Fire has already sent crews to six different wildfires across Oregon this season, according to KOIN. Fire Chief Lauren Johnson told the City Council's Community and Public Safety Committee on Aug. 4 that the season is "pushing every department to stretch their limits," according to Willamette Week.

On July 22, City Council passed a compromise ordinance using roughly $12 million to preserve 30 public safety positions, including three fire rescue crews, as the city worked to close a $160 million general fund gap. During spring budget talks, District 4 Councilor Mitch Green tried and failed to restore funding for a fire station serving the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub and St. Johns, calling it "unacceptable to cut the nearest fire engine to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, particularly as we head into a hot, dry summer."

Oregon broke its annual wildfire acreage record in early August, with more than 2 million acres burning across over 40 fires statewide, The Oregonian reported.

What residents can do

Portland Fire & Rescue offers free Wildland-Urban Interface Home Assessments for residents living in or near wildfire hazard zones. Wildfire specialists visit a property and recommend steps to create defensible space, reduce vegetation and harden the home against fire. Residents can request an assessment at portland.gov/fire.