Oregon lawmakers were convening Thursday for a special session to discuss emergency funding to pay out millions in unpaid bills stemming from the state’s 2024 record wildfire season. As wildfires still rage in California,

Oregon lawmakers on Thursday approved more than $218 million to cover eye-popping bills that the state’s fire fighting agencies incurred during record-breaking blazes this summer and fall. They approved the funding during a special session which lasted just over three hours Thursday afternoon.

Gov. Kotek called the special session to free up money to pay hundreds of contractors involved in the wildfire season that burned 1.9 million acres.

The company has worked on wildfires for decades, and Miller says the state routinely pays its bills within 45 days. But this year, some of Miller’s invoices have sat unpaid for double that. Meanwhile, credit he’s taken out to pay his roughly 250 employees for their work on the fires is coming due.

The Oregon Department of Forestry still owes hundreds of vendors more than $98 million for costs incurred during this year's wildfire season.

The emergency spending will free up the Oregon Department of Forestry and Office of State Fire Marshal — the two state agencies that predominantly tackle wildfires — to pay contractors who sent machinery and manpower to battle this year’s blazes and support firefighting teams, but have sat unpaid for months.

The Oregon Department of Forestry had more than 1,800 outstanding invoices totaling $98 million at the beginning of December.