Wildfire Season in Northwest Oregon Starts Thursday

When you wake up Thursday morning, fire season will be underway in the Northwest Oregon Forest Protection District.

That covers most of the Northwest part of the state including Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clatsop, and Columbia Counties.

So, what does that mean?

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Several things.

For forest operators, it means they must have required fire equipment at their site and reminded that they need to inspect the equipment to ensure that it can pass inspection.

For the general public, it means burning permits are required for open pile burning and burn barrels. Residents who live within a City Fire Department District or Rural Fire Protection District should contact their local fire department for burn permit requirements.

The Oregon Department of Forestry offers several pieces of advice:

- Never leave your fire unattended;

- When burning debris, always have a hose and shovel at the fire to prevent it from spreading;

- Check with your local fire protection agency prior to burning. (Most Rural Fire Protection Districts require a burn permit year round.);

- If camping, ensure your campfire is in a designated area;

- Always make sure your campfire is out cold before leaving; and

- On the beach, keep your campfire far from beach grass and drift wood piles.

Meanwhile, New York Times reporter Fernanda Santos, whose new book chronicles the tragic fire in Yarnell, Arizona, that claimed the lives of 19 firefighters, will be in Portland to give a reading.

As Oregon enters fire season, Santos's book, The Fire Line has a relevance here as it not only tells the story of one fire, it addresses the big questions of policy, politics and development.

She reads at Powell's Hawthorne at 7:30 p.m.

Photo - Oregon Department of Forestry