Burn bans announced for major areas in Portland metro

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Days ahead of an excessive heat warning for the Portland metro rolling into the weekend, regional officials announced burn bans are either in effect immediately or in the coming days.

At this time, both Portland and Washington County have burn bans in place. A burn ban takes effect in Clackamas County on Wednesday, while a Clark County ban begins Friday.

Details for the announced burn bans are below, but all are very similar. Simply put: Don’t burn things. Don’t use fire recreationally.

An excessive heat warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the Portland area for Thursday through Sunday. Temperatures are expected to hit triple digits over the weekend.

PORTLAND

The burn ban was issued by the Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Marshal “due to forecasted high temperatures, limited rainfall, and ongoing dry conditions.”

The ban includes prohibitions against recreational campfires, fire pits, yard debris and agricultural burning. It also restricts open burning, even if a permit was issued for one, until further notice.

Though some types of burning are still permitted, such as outdoor barbecuing, officials are still urging residents to use “extreme caution.” Safety precautions include maintaining a 10-foot barrier between outdoor cooking and anything combustible, such as fences, shrubbery, or siding. In addition, charcoal briquettes should be disposed of properly, with their ashes covered in a metal container far away from combustibles and made wet for a few days before disposing permanently. People should also extinguish cigarettes or cigars completely before disposing.

Those in rural areas are advised to create defensible space by keeping growth surrounding homes and structures at bay and keeping access to firefighting equipment readily available.

MULTNOMAH COUNTY

A burn ban is now in effect for Multnomah County and includes backyard burning, recreational campfires and fire pits, and agricultural burning (including agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, and permitted open burning for land clearing, slash, stump, debris, or controlled burning).

The complete burn ban will remain in effect throughout the summer weather season.

While outdoor barbecuing using grills, smokers, and similar cooking appliances remains permissible, residents are urged to exercise utmost caution.

WASHINGTON COUNTY

The burn ban in Washington County began Monday.

The Washington County burn ban prohibits

• Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.).
• Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, etc.).
• Any other land clearing, slash, stump, waste, debris or controlled burning

The Washington County burn ban does not prohibit:

• Small outdoor cooking, warming or recreational fires.
• These include portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, and campfires, with a maximum fuel area of three feet in diameter and two feet in height in a safe location away from combustibles or vegetation and are fully extinguished after use.
• Barbeque grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels.

CLACKAMAS COUNTY

A burn ban takes effect for all areas within Clackamas Fire on July 3 at 12:01 a.m. The fire danger level will move to moderate. This means no backyard, agriculture, or slash burning. BBQs, fire pits, and recreational fires are allowed, but strongly discouraged.

CLARK COUNTY

All land clearing and residential burning in Clark County will be banned until further notice beginning at 12:01 a.m. July 5.

The Interim Fire Marshal is rescinding all burning permits issued prior to the ban. Permits can be reissued or extended when the ban is lifted. The burning restrictions do not apply to federally managed lands.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.

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