Fire danger to rise to moderate in northwest Oregon Friday

The Oregon Department of Forestry will raise the public fire danger level to moderate across its northwest Oregon forestland, including Forest Grove, Gales Creek, Banks and the Tillamook State Forest, at 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 19. The changes cover the agency's three northwest Oregon zones, which span the Astoria, Forest Grove and Tillamook districts and take in the Clatsop and Tillamook state forests. The industrial fire precaution level for those zones stays at 1, the lowest of four steps that regulate logging and other commercial work on forestland. Moderate, coded blue, is the second of ODF's four public danger levels, ahead of high and extreme. The public level had been set at low when fire season opened. Northwest Oregon was the last area in the state to enter fire season, declaring on June 15, as News in the Grove reported. A Washington County burn ban took effect the same morning. Gov. Tina Kotek declared a statewide state of emergency over the wildfire threat this week. Debris burning requires a permit or is banned outright on ODF-protected land during fire season, and private fireworks are prohibited. Small cooking, warming and recreational fires within ODF's size limits are still allowed. Residents can check current restrictions and danger levels on ODF's Fire Restrictions & Closures website or by calling the Forest Grove office at 503-357-2191. Real-time alerts for the Forest Grove, Tillamook and Astoria districts are available by texting "NWOA" to 877-274-4067.