This is the time for Oregonians to help get their homes and property ready for wildfire season. But Oregonians could use some help from the state, and it’s not clear, yet, if they will get it.

“It’s May. The weather is beautiful. It’s getting hot. It’s going to get drier,” Gov. Tina Kotek said Wednesday. “This is the month when our homeowners and property owners need to be thinking about preparing and protecting their property as best they can for the upcoming wildfire season.”

It was a timely news conference layered with deserving praise for the firefighters and others that help Oregon prepare for wildfire and fight the fires when they come.

Just last week, state Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple signed an agreement with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. That organization offers wildfire prepared certification programs. If an Oregonian meets certain goals for doing wildfire prevention work around their home they can earn a certificate, “wildfire prepared.”

There are all sorts of smart things that homeowners can do, as directed by that program. Create a 5-foot buffer between your home and any vegetation. Clean out the gutters and remove leaves and needles from the roof. Vents in the roof need tiny mesh openings so burning embers from wildfire carried on the wind can’t get sucked in. Deck and siding material should be non-combustible. And of course, the roof should be made of Class A fire-resistant material. You can find more details here: tinyurl.com/Notburnt.

But will the state help Oregonians with any of those expenses? It has in the past. Not right now.

But does the state require insurers to give Oregonians a break on home insurance if they take such certified actions? No.

Maybe those things will change by the end of the legislative session. Some people have plenty of money and appetite to take action on their own. More would get serious about it with incentives.