Wildfire: What to Know

Information

Portland faces real risk of urban wildfire. Get ready now and make a plan.  Sign up for alerts,  make a  "go" kit, and defend your space.  Learn how you can make your home and your community more wildfire resilient. Learn what the City is doing to reduce the risk of wildfire. 

Portland's risk for wildfires is real and growing. The lush forests, steep hills, and wild landscapes that make our city so beautiful also pose significant hazards in dry weather. Abundant fuel, steep grades, and strong winds make fire spread fast, threatening lives and property. We need to prepare. Take action now to protect your life, your property, and your neighborhood. 

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Each year, wildland fires consume hundreds of homes in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Wildfires in an urban setting like Portland can be extremely dangerous and difficult to control. Because of our dense population and the number of structures in wildland settings, we have less time to evacuate residents and protect personal property. The potential for loss of life and property is very real.

To prepare your home against the threat of wildland fires, follow these three critical steps:

Ready - Be Ready. Prepare for the fire threat by hardening your home against ember intrusion, creating defensible space around your home, assembling emergency supplies, and planning evacuation routes.

Set - Situational awareness. As a fire approaches, stay alert and know how to receive the latest news and information on the fire from local media, your local fire department and public safety. Pack your emergency items and prepare to evacuate if necessary.

Go! - Act early. By leaving early, you have the best chance of surviving a wildland fire. You also support firefighting efforts by keeping the area and roads clear of congestion, which allows firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.

Portland Fire & Rescue's Wildfire Action Guide and other resources on this website provide you with tips and tools you need to prepare for a wildland fire threat, have situational awareness when a fire starts, and to leave early when a wildfire threatens.

 Your Personal Wildfire Action Guide 2.45 MB

Wildfire Hazard Zone Map – linked below:

https://www.portland.gov/fire/your-safety/documents/wildfire-hazard-zone-map/download

Know what to do in case of wildfire

Accurate, up-to-date information helps you make smart decisions when there's a high risk of wildfire. The City of Portland teams up with our partners to provide you with information through several channels:

PublicAlerts. PublicAlerts is the region's opt-in emergency alerting system for getting phone, text, and email alerts. Sign up for PublicAlerts to get alerts based on your location.
311. PDX 311 is your connection to local government. Dial 3-1-1 to get your questions answered, request services, or report issues.
211. 211 is your connection to social services, 24 hours a day. Dial 2-1-1 to find local assistance and disaster recovery centers and to learn about transportation options.

Facebook: PortlandORGov
Twitter/X: PortlandGov
Instagram: PortlandGov

Defend your space

If you live in or near a wildfire hazard zone, prepare by planning ahead. Learn how to create a defensible space.

Ask for an expert to visit and suggest ways to harden your home against wildfire. Sign up for a wildland-urban interface assessment.

Are you in a wildfire hazard zone? Check this map.

Connect with your neighbors

In the event of a citywide disaster such as an urban wildfire, you need to be prepared to be on your own for at least a week. Neighborhoods need to be prepared for self-sufficiency, too.

Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NETs) are Portland residents who provide emergency planning and assistance within their own neighborhoods. These volunteers are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. They are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm's way. They will likely be first on the scene when firefighters and police are slowed by impassable streets or overwhelmed by calls for help.

There are 87 Neighborhood Emergency Teams in Portland. Sign up to become a NET volunteer.

Talk to your neighbors. Ask what they're doing to prepare for any emergency.

Stock up on water

Start your preparations with water. The Portland Water Bureau recommends storing 14 gallons of emergency water for each person in your household. Learn how to build your emergency water supply. 

We maintain around 14,500 hydrants and over 200 million gallons of in-town water storage. During a large-scale fire, dramatic changes in water flow or damage to the water system could impact the availability or quality of drinking water. Everyone should be prepared for a sudden water disruption.

Become a Firewise community

Help your neighborhood get ready. Firewise principles can help keep your home and community safer in the event of an urban wildfire. Learn about Firewise and how to prepare your home and your neighborhood.

Build resilience

Make your home more resilient to urban wildfire with resources on fire-resistant construction and landscaping from Portland Permitting & Development. Improvements include roof coverings, safer siding for walls, heat-resistant windows, decks and fire safety, fire-rated outside doors, landscape planning, emergency planning, and more.

Are you in a wildfire hazard zone? Check this map.

How the City is getting ready

Portland Fire & Rescue firefighters constantly train for all scenarios, including urban wildfire. They also do robust public education campaigns on fire risks and fire safety.
PF&R experts will show you how to make your home more fire-resilient. 
PF&R operates the Firewise program to help neighborhoods become more resilient. 
Portland Bureau of Emergency Management has trained 87 Neighborhood Emergency Teams. 
PBEM is constantly planning for disaster scenarios with local partners.
Portland Parks & Recreation is reducing risk of wildfire in parks and wild spaces by creating defensible space, reducing fuels, and planting native species that promote fire resilience. 
Portland Permitting & Development has extensive guidelines for fire-resistant construction such as roofs, siding, doors, decks, etc. 
Portland Water Bureau is building a new filtration facility that will improve our ability to treat Bull Run water following a major fire.  
We partner with the U.S. Forest Service and local fire agencies to protect the Bull Run Watershed (our primary drinking water source) from wildfires. 
We developed a Climate Emergency Workplan which outlines priority actions to address the most pressing needs of the climate crisis and build resilience for Portland.

Sign up for a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Home Assessment

Portland Fire & Rescue is currently conducting assessments upon the resident’s request if living in, or close to, a wildfire hazard zone. The assessments focus attention on the home ignition zone and provide recommendations on ways to eliminate the fire’s potential relationship with the house. Removal of some vegetation, trimming plants and cutting back trees around the home are some examples of good practices to harden your home against wildfires. If you would like to receive an assessment of your home, please fill out the online form at the following link.

WUI Assessment