Portland Fire & Rescue Urges Citizens to Burn Safely this Weekend

June 26, 2015 11:40

  Follow @PDXFire

UPDATE June 26, 2015: ALL AREAS OF PORTAND ENTERING A RED FLAG WARNING EFFECTIVE 11:00 AM TODAY

Due to deteriorating weather conditions, Portland Fire & Rescue will be staffing additional Brush Unit apparatus through the evening hours as conditions warrant. This staffing will continue daily until the Red-Flag condition is lifted.

Portland Fire asks everyone to exercise extreme caution when participating in activities such as lighting fireworks, barbecuing, legal ceremonial fire pits and anything else that could introduce an ignition source to dry fuels.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


With the high heat predicted and the dry conditions, Portland Fire & Rescue wants everyone to take extra precautions this weekend. Outdoor burning is prohibited in the City of Portland. However, the following fires are legal within the city limits.

1. Cooking with standard barbecue equipment.

2. Ceremonial fires for large gatherings or institutions, when a permit from the Fire Marshal's Office is obtained. Written authorization from the Property Owner is required. This authorization needs to be signed, dated, and presented when applying for the permit.

3. Recreational fires defined as: burning clean, dry, cord type firewood as in a standard campfire type setting. When burning a fire of this type, you must build the fire in a pit or pan prepared for this purpose. The fire must not be larger than a standard campfire, less than 3 feet in diameter, with pile less than 2 feet in height.

General rules that apply to these legal, recreational fires:

1. A recreational fire located in a pit shall be no closer than 25 feet to a structure. Fires contained in fireplace?type receptacles or Chimineas shall be no closer than 15 feet from a structure or the distance listed in the manufacture's instruction, whichever is less. When required by the Fire Marshal, outdoor burning device stacks shall be equipped with a spark?arresting, 12?gauge wire mesh screen with openings of not less than 3/8" nor more than 1/2".

2. A responsible person shall be in attendance at all times and have approved fire?extinguishing equipment close at hand.

3. The smoke from the fire must not be of a noxious quality or amount that causes complaints from the neighbors.

4. No garbage or similar material is to be burned in these fires.

5. Observe common safety practices while enjoying the recreational fire, e.g. cease burning if the wind picks up to 15 mph or higher, be careful with the consumption of alcohol by any persons around the fire, watch small children in the vicinity, etc.

While these fires are legal, if fire conditions become too dangerous, the Fire Chief may issue a burn ban that doesn't allow burning of any kind. This will be dependent on moisture content of fuel loads and weather conditions.

*************

       

News Archives