As Fires Rage, Mayor Ted Wheeler Closes City Parks, Directs Resources to Evacuees and Unhoused

The Joint Office of Homeless Services is opening emergency shelters and Metro is opening the Oregon Convention Center to evacuees.

Wildfire smoke atop Powell Butte on Sept. 9, 2020. (Trevor Gagnier)
By Nigel Jaquiss

As wildfires burned along the suburbs, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler tonight issued an executive order closing all city-owned outdoor areas and natural spaces, including Forest Park, Mount Tabor and all other city parks, until Sept. 24 if necessary.

Wheeler also directed the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management to help houseless people relocate to safer areas, find evacuation sites for people fleeing fires to stay temporarily, and seek funding for fire response.

Multnomah County has built a website to help residents prepare for wildfires.

The website provides information about fire threats to the county and information about other counties, including road closures and evacuation information.

In addition, the Joint Office of Homeless services also announced tonight it is opening emergency 24-hour shelter space for people experiencing houselessness and that it has acquired 40,000 new KN95 masks to help with breathing amid poor air quality.

Meanwhile, Metro, which owns the Oregon Convention Center, announced it's creating emergency shelter space, including parking, showers and a place to sleep, for people displaced by fires.

"The fires raging throughout our region are impacting families, pets and livestock," said OCC executive director Craig Stroud in a statement. "The Oregon Convention Center is pleased to open our doors to these community members in a time of tremendous need."

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