Widespread power shut-offs could leave more than 50,000 Oregonians in the dark this weekend as the state faces extreme wildfire risk.
With 26 fires already burning on 195,000 acres across the state, the National Weather Service in Portland issued two red flag warnings on Sept. 8 for critical fire weather conditions, including strong wind, high temperatures, and low relative humidity for this weekend.
Winds are forecast to gust up to 50 mph in the Willamette Valley as temperatures reach into the mid-90s.
On Sept. 8, officials activated the state’s Emergency Coordination Center.
“We’re at what I would call the APEX of fire season. Any new starts could be very problematic,” Oregon’s deputy fire marshal Travis Medema said during a Sept. 8 news conference….