http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Fir trees in Oregon and Washington died in record-breaking numbers in 2022 with more than 1.23 million acres, or over 1,900 square miles, affected in Oregon and Washington. In Oregon alone, the Forest Service found dead firs on about 1.1 million acres, or over 1,700 square miles, of forest. Researchers refer to the event as “Firmageddon” as this is the largest die-off on record for fir trees in the two states. The worst-affected areas were the Fremont, Winema, Ochoco and Malheur national forests, with the Fremont National Forest being hit the hardest. The cause of the tree deaths appears to be drought in combination with insects and fungal diseases, but the results are preliminary and require further analysis. Extreme heat may also be a possible cause. Within some areas, up to 50% or more trees have died. Such areas of intense tree death occurred in forests in central to southern Oregon. The type of fir trees affected included only those in the genus Abies, so Douglas fir trees, not considered to be a true fir, were not affected. Die-offs were reported for grand fir, white fir, red fir, noble fir and the hybrid Shasta red fir. The largest mortality was observed at lower elevations where grand fir and white fir are plentiful, and white fir was the hardest hit species. Douglas fir trees were experiencing a die-off also, but to a lesser extent with 450,000 acres, or over 700 square miles, of Douglas fir affected, mostly in southwestern Oregon. Washington has also seen about 230,000 acres, or nearly 360 square miles, die off. It appears that drought weakens the trees, which then were more susceptible to insects and possibly fungal attack. The Register Guard (Eugene, Ore.), Dec 1, 2022