High Winds, Fire Danger Expected This Weekend

Several members of the Forest Grove and Pacific University communities received an emergency alert on Thursday, Sept. 8, reporting potential power outages in the coming days for wildfire mitigation.

According to updates from Forest Grove Light & Power, no outages are currently expected for Forest Grove.

The National Weather Service is predicting high winds, with gusts between 31 and 52 mph from Friday, Sept. 9 through Saturday, Sept. 10. The strongest winds are expected Friday night and into early Saturday morning. High winds may cause downed trees and power lines, which increase already high wildfire risk. Wind damage can cause unplanned power outages. Power companies elsewhere in the Portland area may also proactively shut down power in high-risk areas to help prevent fires. 

The Pacific University Office of Emergency Management & Business Continuity continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates regarding any expected impact to Forest Grove Campuses. Again, at this time, no planned outages are scheduled for Forest Grove.

Students and employees should continue to monitor emergency notifications in the areas where they live, particularly throughout identified high-risk areas.

Resources:

PGE has provide a website with more information on Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)

Wildfire updates and tracking: An interactive web application of statewide wildfire location and data summaries, evacuation and closure information, air quality, and fire condition forecasts can be found at:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6329d5e4e13748b9b9f7f33f06a3c376/

General information and resources regarding the wildfires can be found at: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/