Pacific Power sends shutoff notices over Friday, Saturday fire danger in Oregon

PORTLAND — A power utility has issued potential shutoff notices to customers in six Oregon counties south and west of Portland, Oregon, because of gusty east winds Friday and Saturday contributing to extreme wildfire conditions.

Pacific Power said Wednesday that it has notified about 12,000 customers in Linn, Douglas, Lincoln, Tillamook, Marion and Polk counties of a potential public safety power shutoff from early Friday through Saturday. Communities impacted could include Stayton through the Santiam Canyon, Lebanon, Sweet Home, Lincoln City and Glide along the Umpqua Highway.

The utility’s meteorology manager Steve Vanderburg said their advanced weather modeling indicates a potential for dangerous fire weather conditions.

Portland General Electric officials have they are monitoring conditions.

Fire weather watches and red flag warnings have been forecast for much of western Oregon and southwest Washington starting Friday.

Forecasters have said the concern isn’t on the same level as the Oregon 2020 Labor Day fires east wind event, but they say active wildfires in the state could spread quickly as well as any new blazes sparked at that time.

Officials with the Department of Natural Resources in Washington state said Wednesday that an east wind event is also expected over the weekend that, paired with already-critical fire weather conditions, could result in severe wildfire activity.

“West of the Cascades, this will likely be the highest fire danger of the season as hot, dry winds leave normally damp fuels such as grass & moss ready to burn and primed for rapid spread,” state DNR officials said on Twitter.