More good news came from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies leading the response to the Riverside Fire Sunday, as most of the city limits of Molalla were rolled back to level 2 evacuation status.
The sheriff’s office also announced it was dropping the evacuation level from level 1 to normal for Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Clackamas, Happy Valley, Gladstone, Tualatin, Milwaukie, and some areas near Boring and Damascus.
It marked the first time any part of Clackamas County had been fully out of level 1 status for the since Tuesday. Canby and Oregon City remained at level 1 status — “Get Ready” — as of Sunday night.
While Molalla city limits were downgraded, much of the area’s south and east of the City remained in level 3, with some homes still without power as well.
The sheriff’s office made the decision in collaboration with the Riverside Fire Incident Management Team SWA Team 1, Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
For the latest, see the county’s live fire evacuation map.
In other news, the sheriff’s office announced it was rolling back some parts of the countywide curfew it enacted on Thursday, making it effective only in the level 2 and level 3 evacuation zones.
This means the curfew is not in effect in Canby and Oregon City city limits as long as they stay at level 1. For level 2 or level 3, the curfew remains in effect from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. — with exceptions for first responders, evacuees and night-shift workers.
The sheriff’s office said the curfew will continue to be based on the Clackamas County Wildfire Evacuation Zones map, going forward, and that its goal is to “lift the curfew as quickly and safely as possible.”
The Riverside Fire is still 0% contained but its growth has slowed thanks to favorable weather conditions, and the dedicated fire crews at work on the fire lines are making progress.
The much-feared scenario of a merger between the Riverside and Beachie Creek fires has not occurred, but is still a dangerous possibility. Rain is in the forecast for later this week.
Although the weather predictions are favorable, officials caution that fire conditions can still change rapidly.
As of Sunday, the Riverside Fire had burned 133,799 acres — the equivalent of 209 square miles — with a fire perimeter approximately 107 miles long. Maps available here.
The sheriff’s office continues to have an increased patrol presence, with extra deputies patrolling the evacuation areas to enforce the curfew, protect people’s property, and hold offenders accountable.
Air quality remains extremely poor due to wildfire smoke. Residents are encouraged to stay inside. Keep an eye on oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/aqi.aspx and other resources below for air-quality updates.
