SALEM, Ore. – Pursuant to the United States Flag Code, Governor Tina Kotek has ordered flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff on Friday in honor of Jason Ensign, who died last week while helping battle a Klamath County wildfire.

Last Thursday, while conducting firefighting operations on the Wrights Spring Fire, Ensign, 47, was a contractor with Green Diamond Resource Company operating a bulldozer to help fire crews construct fire lines when rapidly changing fire conditions overtook his equipment.

“On behalf of all Oregonians, I extend my deepest condolences to Jason Ensign’s family, loved ones and colleagues,” Governor Kotek said in a statement on Saturday. “Mr. Ensign’s passing is a tragic loss, and a stark reminder of the danger first responders bravely confront every day when protecting our communities.”

The 2026 wildfire season has now tragically taken the lives of at least two Oregonians. For a message from the governor on the current wildfire season, click here.

The governor said the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, August 14.