A backyard burn ban is now in effect for Canby, Aurora and much of Clackamas County until the fall season.
The ban went into effect Wednesday, June 15, in the Canby and Aurora fire districts, while the Clackamas Fire District imposed a similar prohibition against backyard burning the following day.
The Clackamas ban includes Oregon City, Milwaukie and other rural parts of the county served by Clack Fire.
The bans prohibit open burning, including the burning of yard debris, trimmings and clippings until October unless otherwise specified.
Check with your local district to confirm details (contact information below), but in general, the bans do not prohibit recreational fires, barbecues or enclosed cooking fires except when the fire conditions are at the most extreme level.
Despite the higher rainfalls the Willamette Valley and northwest Oregon have seen this year, fire officials warn that much of the state is still very dry and at high risk for wildfire potential.
“Don’t let the rain fool you,” Canby Fire Division Chief Matt English said in an email. “We will have more one-hour fuels this year than we have seen for a while due to the current precipitation fostering the growth.”
“One-hour fuels” is a term for fuels such as grasses, leaves, mulch and litter, for which moisture can change within one hour according to factors such as temperature, rain, humidity and shade, and which can be particularly dangerous in starting or spreading wildland fires.
For updated burn information in Canby Fire District, visit canbyfire.org/burn-information or call 503-266-1195. For Aurora Fire residents, check aurorafire.org/burn-info or call at 503-678-5966.
A map of the areas impacted by Clack Fire’s burn ban can be found here.
Anyone needing to report illegal burning is asked to file a complaint with DEQ on its website here. If you observe a dangerous or out-of-control fire, call 911.
