Fire & Heat Safety

Although Milwaukie enjoys generally temperate summers, climate change has brought increasingly frequent periods of high temperatures in recent years. These temperatures can increase fire danger during the dry summer months. 

Fire Safety
Clackamas Fire District #1  provides fire protection for the City of Milwaukie and most surrounding jurisdictions. Because of its urban density, Milwaukie is at low risk for wildfires overall. Some natural areas, including Elk Rock Island and Three Creeks are rated as posing a moderate wildfire risk. 

The larger fire threat in Milwaukie comes from residential and business fires. There are lots of things you can do to help keep your family safe from fires, including making sure your smoke alarms are working, never leaving cooking food unattended, and ensuring that blankets and other flammable objects are kept away from heat sources.

The Red Cross has put together a helpful guide to home fire safety here: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire.html 

Heat Safety
Heat can pose a threat to human and animal health. Heat related illnesses, including heat stress and heat stroke can be quite serious, but are preventable with some simple precautions. These include drinking plenty of water, wearing loose clothing, and staying out of direct sunlight as much as possible. For more information on heat related illness, visit https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/heatrelillness.html  

Clackamas and Multnomah counties are home to many cooling shelters. To locate your nearest cooling center visit the links below. 

Clackamas County Cooling Centers*: https://www.clackamas.us/relief 
Multnomah County Cooling Centers: https://www.multco.us/em/cooling-center-locations

*Clackamas County lists warming centers and cooling centers on the same page. Most of these centers serve both functions. Call 211 or visit 211.org if you are unsure of your closest warming/cooling center.