The City of Troutdale is happy to announce that we’ve been awarded $60,000 to conduct wildfire mitigation efforts by the Oregon State Fire Marshall over a 3-year duration. The grant project aims to help vulnerable communities engage in local wildfire risk reduction efforts. The city is hosting events to learn about wildfire risks and mitigation, and holding yard debris clean-up days to help reduce fuel risks. This page will communicate the most up-to-date information for the clean-up events as they’re scheduled.
Thanks to everyone who attended the SANDY PALISADES WILDFIRE SAFETY FAIR on April 5, 2025. Thank you to the Gresham Fire Department, Oregon State Fire Marshal Office, and Multnomah County Office of Emergency Management. It was a great turnout, and we hope you walked away knowing how to protect your family and home better from wildfire risks. We let neighbors know about free arborist/landscaping services in the Sandy Palisades Greenway at the event. Many neighbors signed up, and the city has been scheduling services. The signups for those services are now closed, but you can join the waiting list in case of cancellations. Please call Nik Ramstad, Assistant Planner, at 503-674-7261 to join the waitlist. City staff will coordinate another free yard waste disposal event in early fall 2025. Details on that event will be shared later this summer.
More community events to come, so please check back in the future
Why cleaning up yard debris can make a difference
In our home, the Pacific Northwest, fire season starts earlier and ends later year after year. So, what can we do to be as safe as possible during the fire season? The vegetation commonly found in our yards, such as grass, brush, and timber, can be extremely combustible. These vegetation types can burn intensely, which can be exacerbated and travel significantly with the strong Columbia Gorge winds. It's critically important for us all to assess the vegetation and yard debris around our homes to ensure there is ample defensible space for your safety and the community. Cleaning up yard debris - notably vegetation with resins and oils, narrow leaves or long thin needles, waxy or fuzzy leaves, dead leaves and twigs, and loose or papery bark – is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect your home from wildfires and preventing fires from spreading.
If you have questions about wildfire safety or community events listed above, please email firesafety [at] troutdaleoregon.gov (firesafety[at]troutdaleoregon[dot]gov) or call Troutdale Community Development at 503-674-7272
For more information on maintaining, enhancing, or learning what defensible spaces are, please refer to the resources below
https://oregondefensiblespace.org/
https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/home-builder-guide-co…
https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/Pages/Oregon-Defensible-Space.aspx