The Portland office of the National Weather Service issued a Fire Weather Watch—often a precursor to a Red Flag Warning—starting Friday afternoon for areas near the Portland Metro area.
According to the Portland NWS, the areas impacted by the watch are largely south of the Portland area.
“There is a 10-20% chance for critically low relative humidity overlapping with sufficiently strong enough wind to result in critical fire weather conditions,” in the Willamette Valley south of Portland.
In a map of the Fire Weather Watch, the NWS extended the boundaries to include much of western Washington County, ending in downtown Gales Creek and near Dingheiser Rd in Manning.
The watch begins at 2 p.m. Friday, July 14 and extends to Saturday evening.
The NWS said temperatures Friday and Saturday are expected to be in or near the low to mid-90’s in the Gales Creek and Banks areas.
“Conditions may be favorable for rapid fire spread which may threaten life and property,” the NWS said. “Use extra caution with potential ignition sources, especially in grassy areas. Outdoor burning is not recommended.”
Washington County remains under a burn ban in most cases, with areas protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry set to “Moderate” fire danger.
The NWS also issued a Heat Advisory from 12 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
