Red Flag Warning: High fire danger through weekend

Published 12:00 am Saturday, September 10, 2022

Officials in the Willamette Valley are continuing to warn about fire asks because of continuing hot weather and steady winds.

Portland firefighters battled a 2-alarm brush fire along I-205 near the Multi-Use Path, Gateway Green and the I-84 exit Saturday, Sept. 10. There was no immediate word of the cause of the blaze, which was brought under control around noon.

Portland General Electric and Pacific Power began cutting power in high-risk areas early Friday, Sept. 9, to reduce fire risks. PGE added five more areas late Friday, including Sandy. Over 40,000 customers were without power by Saturday afternoon.

Multnomah County health officials banned wood burning Saturday because of the poor air quality. The ban follows a similar one by the Multnomah County Fire Defense Board on July 25 for fire safety. That burn ban includes recreational campfires, fire pits, yard debris (branches, yard debris, etc.), agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, etc.) and permits issued for open burning (other land clearing, slash, stump, debris, or controlled burning) until further notice.

A 25-acre fire in Milo McIver State Park near Estacada prompted Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations Friday night and early Saturday. The Red Cross opened an evacuation shelter at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect through Saturday night across a large swath of Oregon and Washington. Winds of 20 to 30 mph with stronger gusts of 40 to 50 mph are possible during the morning and afternoon.

Information on shelters and other resources can be found here.