2:50 p.m. update:
In an update made around 2:30 p.m., Banks Fire said their crews were clearing the scene and turning it over to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Around 2 p.m., a wet line was in place around the fire.
“We will continue to support ODF over the next day(s) in making sure this fire is completely extinguished,” Banks Fire wrote on their Facebook page.
The district again urged that no backyard or burn piles be ignited during this period of hot weather, and thanked Hillsboro Fire & Rescue and Forest Grove Fire & Rescue for their assistance in handling calls in the Banks Fire District while crews were out fighting the fire.
1 p.m. update:
Fire crews are stretching water lines in an effort to surround the fire. No evacuations are expected at this time, but area residents were urged to continue to monitor the situation for any changes.
“The fire is in an extremely difficult to get to area and crews are walking in and working with hand tools and water lines,” Banks Fire’s Scott Adams said in an update made on the district’s Facebook page.
Fire crews are expected to be onsite for an extended period of time, Adams said, and additional hydration and food were ordered for firefighters working the wildfire.
ORIGINAL:
Fire crews from Banks Fire District and neighboring agencies are responding to a wildfire on Timber Road between the community of Timber and Glenwood.
According to Banks Fire District spokesperson Scott Adams, the fire is the third wildfire the district has responded to in the last 24 hours.
“Initial reports are that access is being made more difficult by vehicle stopping in the area of the fire to watch,” Adams said
Adams urged people to stay out of the way and to clear the scene of any such emergencies.
A map of the area the fire is in shows it approximately in the area of the sharp curves on Timber Road, the same region where a slow-moving landslide has indefinitely closed Timber Road to through traffic.
“High temperatures, high winds and low humidity have made this weekend an extremely dangerous time for fires,” Adams said.
Banks Fire District is under an outdoor burning ban through Monday.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office were also on scene, according to Adams.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
