Two escaped burn piles are preview of fire season

Two escaped burn piles in rural communities west of Forest Grove before the start of the official fire season have prompted local officials to urge caution when burning. An escaped burn pile on June 4 near the Hillside community was a close call, according to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue. Crews responded to a reported brush fire on NW Seavey Road that afternoon. "A burn pile had spread to recently cut grass that was situated next to a wheat field. The grass fire was out when we arrived and thankfully the wheat field is still green, otherwise this could have quickly grown in the wheat field," said Forest Grove Fire & Rescue spokesperson Matt Johnston. The agency put out the hot spots in the grass and instructed the landowner, who had quickly called the fire department before it could spread beyond a small patch of grass adjacent to the burn pile, to build a firebreak with a tiller. Forest Grove Fire & Rescue crews put out an escaped burn pile near the Hillside community on June 4, 2026. Photo: Chas Hundley Crews again responded to an escaped burn pile, this one in Gales Creek near the Rippling Waters area, on June 11. Johnston said the small fire, less than one-eighth of an acre, was out quickly. Forest Grove Fire & Rescue responded to that fire, off Half Mile Lane, with three units, six firefighters, and two chiefs. The department urged those planning on doing last-minute burning before the season ends June 15 to use caution. * Have bare dirt surrounding your burn pile. A good rule of thumb is the width of the bare dirt path around the burn pile should be 1.5 times bigger than the height the flames. (ex 4ft flames should have a 6ft bare dirt path) * Have a shovel and hose ready to be used in case the fire grows bigger than expected. * Never leave a burn pile unattended. Always keep an eye on the burn pile. The agency also urged those done burning for the season to wet down their burn piles to fully extinguish hidden hot spots before the hottest days of summer begin.