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This afternoon Western Washington County fire departments responded to two separate brush fire that were both caused by out of control burn piles.
The first fire occurred just before 1pm on NW Wilson School Road near the community of Gales Creek, it was contained to about an acre in size and burned between rows at a vineyard. The fire in Gales Creek was handles by Forest Grove Fire & Rescue with assistance from Banks Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Oregon Department of Forestry.
The second fire occurred around 3:15pm on SW Lee Road in the community of Cherry Grove, it was contained to 2 acres in size. The property owner was transported to a local hospital from smoke inhalation trying to extinguish the flames. The fire in Cherry Grove was handled by Gaston Fire District with assistance from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Cornelius Fire Department, Yamhill Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry.
At this time, burning in Washington County is allowed, but we highly suggest residents not burn until it is safe to do so. Use due diligence if you choose to burn, follow safety rules. Those safety rules are have a bare dirt break around the burn pile, never leave a burn pile unattended(EVER), always have a shovel and hose readily available.
Effective today (October 5th, 2018) at 1pm, the burn ban that was reestablished earlier this week will be lifted in Washington County. This burn ban was enacted by Washington County Fire Defense Board Chief Michael Kinkade due to dry conditions which allowed a large number of fires to be started by out of control open burning fires in Washington County. The burn ban included the fire jurisdictions of Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Cornelius Fire Department, Gaston Fire District, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire District and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Due to the increased amount of rain in the area we feel it is safe to now allow burning again in areas that it is permitted. Please contact your local fire department regarding exact regulations for where you live.
When burning, please keep an established bare dirt break around your burn pile so it can't spread to nearby vegetation. Also keep burn piles attended at all times with a water source and hands tools.
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Effective Immediately, all outdoor burning in Washington County is banned due to an increasing fire danger until further notice. This has been established by Washington County Fire Defense Board Chief Michael Kinkade. The ban is to include all agricultural and debris burning for all fire agencies in Washington County. This includes Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, Cornelius Fire Department, Gaston Fire District, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Banks Fire District. Small recreational fires (warming and cooking) are still allowed in fire pits and are to not be larger than 3 feet in diameter.
So far today there have been six brush fires in rural Washington County caused by burn piles that have gotten out of control.
If you have any questions, please contact your local fire department.
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