Update October 5th, 2023: The Multnomah County Fire Chiefs recently announced an end to the county burn ban starting October 1st.
This week, the Multnomah County Fire Defense Board Chief Chris Barney announced a backyard burning ban for all areas of Multnomah County. This year’s summer prohibition on burning starts Friday, June 16th, with agricultural burning banned after June 30th. A complete outdoor burn ban begins on July 6th and will remain in effect until further notice.
The complete ban includes recreational campfires, fire pits, and any other open burning. Outdoor barbecuing or grilling in purpose-built cooking appliances is permitted, including smokers. However, officials caution residents to exercise extreme caution during the dry summer months, keeping discarded ashes in a covered metal container away from combustibles. Fire prevention experts also instruct the public to maintain a ten-foot buffer zone between outdoor cooking and anything combustible such as siding, fences, or shrubbery.
The Multnomah County Fire Defense Board chose these phased burning ban dates to address safety concerns arising from the seasonably dry conditions while allowing farming communities time to discard agricultural wastes through burning. These dates may change due to worsening weather conditions. Residents and area businesses should direct questions about the ban to Portland Fire & Rescue’s general information line at 503-823-3700.
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