PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Crews with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue rushed to extinguish an “out-of-control” burn pile off Northeast Wilsonville road just outside Newberg.
Crews worked fast to knock out the flames and prevent spreading to nearby structures. By 3:22 p.m., authorities shared that the fire was under control and had been kept to around an acre in size.
But Lieutenant Dean Schulze said that temperatures are expected to rise this weekend along with a risk of fires.
“Especially this weekend, even just within the matter of just a couple of days here things are going to change very rapidly and the relative humidity is dropping,” Schulze said. “We had rain just a week ago and now we’re on this acre fire that’s crawling up the hill.”
A heatwave forecasted to hit the Portland metro area, Clackamas Fire District and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue announced fire restrictions starting Friday.
And while fire pits and grills are still allowed, officials say backyard, agricultural and waste burning of any kind are prohibited.
“We need to pay attention to the burn bans. We need to take personal responsibility for what we’re doing around our homes, and while we’re recreating,” said Lieutenant Matt Laas. “We need to be considerate of things we’re using out in the woods whether it’s chainsaws, motorcycles, various equipment, and how we can prepare to mitigate any problems that we cause ourselves.”
Laas told KOIN 6 that most fires are caused by humans and the jurisdiction-wide burn ban will help mitigate fire risks amid projected high winds and temperatures – a perfect recipe for wildland fires.
“It’s just a matter of minutes,” Schultz said. “As that fuel dries out and the wind picks up. And the wind or the temperature (either one) can make a difference on how quickly that spreads.”
With wildland gear prepped, fire officials say they’ll be ready to deploy additional staff and resources if needed, but they plan to operate as normal this weekend.
However, Lieutenant Laas warns there’s nothing normal about the ever-widening fire season.
“It’s not normal, right. This is not a normal event right now,” Lass said. “We’re all a part of the solution to this, and we can have fun, we can enjoy the hot weather and the onset of summer and do it safely in a way that is not exposing anyone to undue risk.”