Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2019)
vernonia rural ore protection district april18 2019 7 Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District FireWise Safety Tips: Protect Your Home From Wildore We would like to remind the residents of our district to get your property ready for this year9s ore season. There are several steps that you can take to prepare your property and protect your home from wildores. Action steps for around your home: " CLEAR leaves and other vegetative debris from roofs, gutters, porches and decks. This helps prevent embers from igniting your home. " REMOVE dead vegetation and other items from under your deck or porch, and within 10 feet of the house. " SCREEN in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating. " REMOVE nammable materials (wood piles, propane tanks) within 30 feet of your home9s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch ore, don9t let it touch your house, deck, or porch. " WILDFIRE can spread to tree tops. PRUNE trees so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground. " KEEP your lawn hydrated and maintained. If it is brown, cut it down to reduce ore intensity. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildore. " Don9t let debris and lawn cuttings linger. DISPOSE of these items quickly to reduce fuel for ore. " INSPECT shingles or roof tiles. Replace or repair the shingles that are loose or missing to prevent ember penetration. " COVER exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent sparks from entering the home. " ENCLOSE eaves and screen sofot vents using 1/8 inch mesh metal screening to prevent ember entry. When it comes to grilling: Here are some safety tips for outdoor grilling that will help protect you and your home: " Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors. " The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. " Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grill area. " Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill. " Never leave your grill unattended. " Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it. Charcoal Grills: " There are several ways to get the charcoal ready to use. Charcoal chimney starters allow you to start the charcoal using newspaper as a fuel. " If you use a starter nuid, use only charcoal starter nuid. Never add charcoal nuid or any other nammable liquids to the ore. " Keep charcoal nuid out of the reach of children and away from heat sources. " There are also electric charcoal starters, which do not use ore. Be sure to use an extension cord for outdoor use. " When you are onished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing in a metal container. To view these tips and many more, go to http://orewise.org/ and search their website for hundreds of safety tips that cover numerous topics. Please take the ore season seriously and follow all of the safety tips to help protect you, your family, and your property. Follow VRFPD on Facebook for notices, burn conditions, and closures, and updates concerning what9s going on in the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District. Feel free to call Chief Smith with questions or concerns at (503) 429-8252. Open Burning With Permit - ORS 478.960 Under Oregon law, ORS 478.960, citizens of Oregon can burn certain items if they have a valid permit issued by the Fire Chief in their area. Each year everyone waits for the dry season to end so they can clean up all the yard and garden debris. But time and time again, those who do burn, forget about the rules. Because of the Environmental Quality Commission, there are regulations concerning what can and cannot be burned. VRFPD responds annually to numerous complaints concerning illegal burns. And most complaints are well founded. VRFPD posts on Facebook and contributes information in the debris, tires, petroleum products. the ore station at (503) 429-8252, or Voice newspaper, concerning what If you have any questions email the Fire Chief at: orechief@ can and cannot be burned. about open burning, please contact Vernoniarfpd.us. Because illegal burning is becoming such a problem, VRFPD will begin issuing citations for il- legal burning, and subjects can also be charged for the expenses incurred (Charges for Service). When you purchase your burn permit, you are given the information needed to comply with the burn permit. So once again, you can burn yard and garden debris, tree VERNONIA RURAL FIRE trimmings, and leaves. PROTECTION DISTRICT You CANNOT burn, any VRFPD is currently accepting applications form of lumber, household garbage, for Volunteer Fire Fighters construction material, demolition VOLUNTEERS WANTED " You must have a High School Diploma or G.E.D., a valid Oregon Driver9s License, and be at least 18 years of age " Currently, you must be able to attend weekly training on Monday nights Calls responded to March 1-31 Fire Emergency Medical Service Hazardous Condition Service Call Good Intent Severe Weather & Natural Disaster Special Incident No Emergency Found False Alarm Total 3 40 0 9 3 0 0 0 1 56 Here’s What We Do! " Willing to attend the Fire Academy " Live or work (employer willing to let you respond to calls) within VRFPD9s District VRFPD 555 E. Bridge St. Vernonia, OR 97064 503-429-8252 " Applications can be picked up at the Fire Station VRFPD FIRE CHIEF Earl Dean Smith dc4502@yahoo.com 503-709-8821 (cell) 503-429-8252 (office)
