The haze hanging over Bethany and Cedar Mill has a name: the Grasshopper Fire, a 34,659-acre wildfire burning in the Badger Creek Wilderness near Mount Hood. Smoke from that blaze is hitting the Portland metro area harder than anywhere else in the state, according to KGW, and it's the reason Washington County activated its emergency shelters Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Those shelters remain open 24 hours a day through noon Thursday, Aug. 6.

As we reported Aug. 4, the county opened two no-turn-away sites when the heat and smoke arrived. This update adds the specific fire driving the crisis, plus transit details and local cooling options for residents who need relief but not overnight shelter.

The fire

The Grasshopper Fire was 19% contained as of Tuesday, Aug. 4, according to the Statesman Journal. It has already destroyed the historic Flag Point Lookout, a firetower built in 1924, and forced a Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation at Mount Hood Meadows. Hot, dry east winds pushed the fire westward and drove smoke into the Tualatin Valley.

Jennifer Horton, an air quality coordinator with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, named the Grasshopper Fire as the culprit in a KGW report on Monday, Aug. 3: "We are seeing smoke blow in from Central Oregon from the Grasshopper Fire and smoke from the fires in Washington," Horton said.

Air quality across Western Oregon is rated unhealthy for sensitive groups. DEQ experts say there is no safe level of wildfire smoke exposure, particularly for young children, older adults and people with heart or lung conditions. Forecasters expect western winds to begin clearing the smoke around Thursday or Friday.

Heat advisory

The National Weather Service heat advisory for Washington County runs through 11 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, with temperatures expected to reach 97 degrees.

Where to go

24/7 emergency shelters (open through noon Thursday, Aug. 6):

  • Project Homeless Connect Access Center, 1440 SE 21st Ave., Hillsboro. Accessible via TriMet Line 57.
  • Just Compassion Access Center, 12264 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard. Accessible via TriMet Lines 12 and 43.

Both shelters provide hot meals, welcome pets and will not turn anyone away. Families with children can call 503-846-4722 for shelter placement or transportation help.

Local cooling centers:

  • Bethany Library, 15325 NW Central Drive. Open Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sunday noon–5 p.m.
  • Cedar Mill Library, 1080 NW Saltzman Road. Same hours as Bethany.

These supplement the county's existing 440-bed emergency shelter system, according to the Beaverton Valley Times.

Updated shelter and cooling center locations are available at washco.maps.arcgis.com.