PGE may shut off power to Mount Hood residents to prevent fires: Here’s what you need to do at home - OregonLive

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About 5,000 customers of Portland General Electric living in a high-risk fire area near Mount Hood have been alerted that their power might be temporarily shut off if the dry weather and wind predicted over the next few days could lead to a fire that threatens lives and property.

Residents who live off of U.S. 26 between Brightwood and Government Camp can enter their address in the map below or at PortlandGeneral.com/wildfire to see if they are within the area that may be impacted.

Although the vast majority of PGE’s nearly 900,000 customers won’t be involved in the temporary power outage, everyone should take these steps to prevent fires and be prepared for an emergency:

Sign in to your PGE account online and make sure your contact email and mobile phone number are up to date so you can receive notifications during an emergency.

People with special medical requirements should call PGE at 800-542-8818 to have their needs included in their record.

BE READY TO ACT FAST

There’s no guarantee that you’ll get a warning before you have to evacuate because of a fire or other life-threatening emergency.

The solution: Have a plan for how you and your family can stay safe from fires. Portland Fire & Rescue, the National Fire Protection Association and others recommend these ways to prepare:

Sign up for notifications: Enroll in Public Alerts, Citizen Alert or a service in your county to be notified via text, call or email by emergency response agencies when you need to take action such as shelter-in-place or evacuate.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radar Live app offers real-time radar images and severe weather alerts.

Have a family escape plan: Make sure everyone in your home knows how to safely exit a building, where you will all reunite and how you will contact each other if phones aren’t working.

“This year we’ve all learned that you can’t prepare after an emergency strikes,” says Skyler Hallgren, co-founder of Redfora, which sells customized emergency kits. “Have a conversation as a family or household about how to mitigate risks, and what role each can play to help each other in case of an emergency.”

Update a list of emergency contacts and reassess your home for hazards and the supplies you’ll need.

Prepare a Go Bag: Put together a small bag with essentials like water, spare glasses and hard sole shoes that you can grab as you’re fleeing. Read more about what should be in a basic disaster supply kit

Create a line of defense around your property by clearing flammable trees and plants away from your home to thwart or diminish a fire.

EXTERIOR

A walk around the outside of your home may reveal potential wildfire fuel or openings, like loose or missing roof tiles, where embers can sneak inside and ignite.

Make sure roofs and gutters are cleared of dead leaves and pine needles, and vents are screened with metal wire mesh no larger than an 1/8 inch to prevent materials from collecting.

Don’t let debris accumulate around storage sheds, propane tanks or wood decks, and consider fire-resistant alternatives for wood fences, outdoor furniture and play sets.

Experts also recommend that you create a fire break with driveways, gravel paths and green lawns, and make sure your address numbers are clearly visible to emergency responders trying to find you.

LANDSCAPING

Fire-wise landscape doesn’t mean cutting down trees and only covering the ground with rocks. No plant is fireproof, but many are more difficult to ignite. OSU Extension has a free guide, “Fire-resistant Landscapes Plants for the Willamette Valley,” of recommended ground covers, perennials, shrubs and trees.

Fire-resistant plants with moist, supple leaves and water-like sap, from black oak trees to carnation ground cover, can be protective if watered and pruned properly.

There is no place for plants with a high oil or resin content or that produce fine, dry or dead leaves or needles such as ornamental junipers, holly, red cedar, arborvitae and small pine trees, say fire experts. Highly flammable plants have gummy sap and leaves that have a strong odor when crushed.

Old trees are more resilient to damage from wildfires and, if pruned, can act as a living wall that reduces fire’s intense heat and blocks airborne embers, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.

To prevent a ground fire from climbing and spreading, remove branches that hang over a house and low branches that are less than six to 10 feet above the ground. Leave 30 feet between two to three trees or 20 feet between lone trees. Remove small conifers growing between mature trees.

Cut dry, brown grass and shrubs, which are also fuel for wildfires.

Visitors to the Oregon Garden’s Fire Safety House in Silverton learn about irrigating low-growing, high-moisture plants to slow or stop ground fires. They also can see plants that have been spaced farther apart and in small, irregular islands, and learn how to prune, thin and remove dead or high-risk vegetation.

INSIDE THE HOME

New homes are built to higher codes that require fire-resistant roofing, siding, windows, doors and vents. But older homes can be modified, as seen by the Fire Safety House, an existing dwelling that was remodeled with a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Portland Fire & Rescue has a safety checklist that includes making sure electrical and heating equipment are in good working condition and not overheating.

Smoke alarms are required, but fire experts also recommend people have fire extinguishers rated for all types of blazes.

Space heaters should be at least three feet away from anything flammable and turned on only when an adult is in the room. Lighted candles should always be contained and monitored.

Never leave pots unattended on the stove and turn off burners and the oven when you’re done.

Close the fireplace screen to stop embers from popping onto the floor or carpet. Burn seasoned wood, not paper, and never use flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace.

Put ashes in a metal container and set them outside to cool for 24 hours before disposal. Have your chimney cleaned; soot can harden on chimney walls as flammable creosote.

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

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