For residents in the Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District, backyard burning opens Friday, March 1. The season will last through June 15, barring any emergency burn bans and daily closures due to low air quality.
Those in Forest Grove’s bounds (which includes Gales Creek, Verboort, Dilley and other areas near the city of Forest Grove) can find more information online at burndaymessage.com. Another resource to check is smkmgt.com/burn.php.
Here are some safe burning tips from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue:
-Locate your burn pile well away from fences, trees, brush, structures, or property lines.
-Have a garden hose and shovel ready, attend to your burn pile at all times.
-Only burn yard debris. Things like household waste, construction materials, and plastics are never allowed.
-Soak your burn pile when you are done, stir the wet debris up until steam is no longer expelled, and soak them again.
Other types of burning, such as slash or agricultural burning, are often governed under different rules depending on your location. Check with your local fire district (Forest Grove Rural Fire/Forest Grove Fire & Rescue: 503-992-3240) or the Forest Grove office of the Oregon Department of Forestry if you’re within lands the state agency protects at 503-357-2191.
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.
