PORTLAND, Ore. — The warm, dry weather we've had may be nice for getting outside but it's cause for concern for firefighters.
On Sunday, crews in Cowlitz County had to put out a two-acre brush fire, and Saturday, firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue battled their first significant wildfire of the year. It took them several hours to put out a three-acre fire on Scholls Ferry Road in Beaverton.
Firefighters say it’s a little early to have a wildfire but not unexpected because the region has had below-average rainfall since October.
WATER YEAR SO FAR
Since October 1
- October: 1.51 inches
- November: 1.52 inches
- December: 4.39 inches
- January: 7.58 inches
- February: 1.55 inches
- March: 2.43 inches
- April: 0.18 inches
Average to date: 27.42 inches
So far: 19.16 inches
Deficit: -8.26 inches
Source: Chris McGinness, KGW
Earlier this month, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue partnered with Clackamas County Fire to ask people to stop outdoor burning because of COVID-19.
“COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. With people burning their burn piles, it creates more irritants in the air and we just want to make sure that everyone can be as safe as possible during this pandemic," said Ron Morgan of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal also has some recommendations as alternatives to burning debris:
- Recycle paper products when possible
- Compost or chip yard debris on site
- Haul to a yard debris composting or recycling site
- Reuse old lumber