Heat Smoke Fire Annual Dispatch: Difference between revisions
| Line 41: | Line 41: | ||
=== Participate in Fire Fuel Mitigation === | === Participate in Fire Fuel Mitigation === | ||
PBEM encourages NET volunteers to get involved in or start a neighborhood Firewise program if they live in an area with significant fire risk (you can check your WUI fire risk at [https://oregon-explorer.apps.geocortex.com/webviewer/?app=fccd4dfc5a974213aa1fa6a01b9c07e1 THIS LINK]). | |||
=== Volunteer at Cooling Spaces and Cooling Shelters === | === Volunteer at Cooling Spaces and Cooling Shelters === | ||
Revision as of 13:33, 10 June 2026
Climate change events are steadily taking the foreground as the most widespread life safety threat in the Portland Metro region. The purpose of this page is to help NET volunteers track on information and resources year to year concerning extreme heat events. Extreme heat events cause heat-related illnesses and deaths, wildland-urban (WUI) fires, and wildfire smoke inundation. This page is also intended to clarify the role of NET volunteers in responding to extreme heat events.
This article is divided into two sections: perennial (or "evergreen") resources, and summer to summer breakdowns for situational awareness.
The Role of NET Volunteers in Extreme Heat Events
The first priority for NET volunteers is to keep themselves and their families safe during extreme heat events.
NET Deployments in Hot Weather
- See also: Severe Weather Operations: Heat
NETs keeping themselves safe is particularly true for any deployment during the summer (whether the deployment itself is heat related or not). Volunteers accepting an assignment during hot weather should complete heat awareness training and also review the Wiki article linked above.
Promoting Hot Weather Safety Awareness in Communities
NETs act as PBEM's community ambassadors. We encourage NETs who are also leaders in their community to promote heat/fire/smoke safety in their communities through social media and community meetings. The most appropriate public-facing information to promote in communities is found on PublicAlerts.org, where there are individual pages for wildfires, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat.
We encourage NETs to promote PublicAlerts.org pages at the start of each summer, and at any time we anticipate a heat, fire, or smoke event.
Burn Bans and Red Flag Warnings
NETs are encouraged to be aware of active burn bans and red flag warnings, and to inform their communities about these conditions as well:
- Multnomah County has a perennial page for wood burning restrictions. Wood burning is restricted to mitigate poor air quality.
- The City of Portland has a page for burn ban status. This is not the same as a wood burning restriction; burn bans are placed in effect during hot and dry weather conditions to reduce fire risk.
- Wikipedia has an article on Red Flag Warnings, and you can monitor whether one is in effect for Portland through the NWS page for Portland.
Public Safety Power Shutoffs
When temperatures are high and winds are high, utility companies may call a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) to proactively de-energize the grid to help prevent wildland fires. If NETs receive questions about PSPSs, we encourage volunteers to direct folks to Portland General Electric's official PSPS page.
Firework Safety
Fireworks are responsible for many fires, and their use is banned in the City of Portland by ordinance, effective March of 2022. There is a lot of information and data on PF&R's Fireworks page. Communities concerned about firework use in their neighborhoods should not call 911; instead, they should send a report through this form.
Participate in Fire Fuel Mitigation
PBEM encourages NET volunteers to get involved in or start a neighborhood Firewise program if they live in an area with significant fire risk (you can check your WUI fire risk at THIS LINK).
Volunteer at Cooling Spaces and Cooling Shelters
Help Set Up Air Conditioning Units
Heat Smoke Fire 2026
2026 Informational Materials
| Release Date | Title | Authoring Agency |
|---|---|---|
| 2026.06.02 | Message to City Employees re Heat Prep | PBEM |
| 2026.05.28 | PBEM Small Business Bulletin "Heat Preparedness" article | PBEM |
| 2026.05.26 | Regional Joint Information System meeting materials re: Heat Fire Smoke public messaging | R-JIS |
| 2026.04.__ | Oregon Air Quality Activity Guide for Children and Youth | Oregon Health Authority |
| 2025.12.19 | Heat Adaptation and Management Report | Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability |
| 2023.04.__ | Home Forward Indoor Temperature Assessment (press article here) | PBEM/Home Forward |
2026 Relevant Heat Fire Smoke Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2026.05.27 | COAD Heat Tabletop Exercise |
| 2026.05.27 | McCullough Research Wildfire Presentation |
2026 Heat Fire Smoke Media
| Date | Articles |
|---|---|
| 2026.05.20 | AccuWeather predicts ‘persistent wildfire risk’ in the Northwest in 2026 |
| 2026.05.20 | Wildfires in western U.S. likely to be bigger, more powerful in 2026, report finds |