Restrictions in areas protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry in Northwest Oregon will increase this week in the face of increasing fire danger.
In the Northwest District, which covers much of the areas this newspaper works in, the general public will see fire danger raised from “low” to “moderate” starting Friday at 1 a.m., while the Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPL) will be raised from IFPL I to IFPL II starting Monday, July 25 at 1 a.m. for the NW-2 and NW-3 zones, which include Glenwood, Timber, and areas just outside of the Highway 26 corridor and just outside of Gales Creek as well as large swaths of the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests.
More information on existing fire danger levels can be found on the ODF Fire Danger Map and on the agency’s restrictions and closures website.
Under a moderate fire danger level, restrictions such as limiting campfires to designated sites kicks in, among other restrictions such as limiting the times power tools are allowed to be used.
For industrial operations, under IFPL II restrictions, a number of operations involving power tools are restricted to only be allowed between the hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.
According to the Portland office of the National Weather Service, this week’s forecast shows extreme temperatures looming for the region. Temperatures hovering in the mid-90s west of Forest Grove are expected starting Monday, while the forecast for Banks shows slightly higher temperatures in the same time frame.
The Washington County Health and Human Services department maintains a webpage dedicated to resources to help residents weather high temperatures.
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.
