City Of West Linn Declaration Of Emergency For Wildfires

Press release from the City of West Linn:

September 11, 2020

WEST LINN, OR – September 11, 2020 – On Friday, September 11, 2020, Interim City Manager, John Williams, declared a state of emergency effective immediately and remaining in effect until October 5, 2020.

High winds, drought conditions, and dry air mass have caused large, unprecedented, and dangerous wild fires in Clackamas County resulting in large-scale evacuations and orders for evacuation readiness. Although high winds have abated, drought conditions and dry air mass continue to create extreme fire risk throughout the City.

In order to protect the safety of our community the City of West Linn asks you to:

1. Curtail any unnecessary use of water to ensure adequate supply for firefighting activities.
2. Suspend any outdoor activities that could potentially spark or flame, including but not limited to backyard fires, barbeques, candles, and gas or electric yard/construction equipment that creates sparks.
3. Not visit any City parks, natural areas and/or trails during this time of extreme fire danger and hazardous air quality.

Many of these restrictions are anticipated be lifted prior to the October 5th deadline dependent on weather and wildfire conditions. This state of emergency declaration ensures public safety and that the City of West Linn and other agencies have the appropriate resources to respond to wildfire emergencies. A copy of the declaration is available here.

This press release was produced by the City of West Linn. The views expressed here are the author’s own.