08/16/2026
Today is the anniversary of the first Tillamook Burn fire, and the one that had its origins in our very own backyard. On August 14, 1933, a fire started at a logging site in the Gales Creek canyon, spreading rapidly in the dry wind. The fire would “blow up” on August 25, and begin running through the crowns of old growth timber between here and the coast. This photo was taken from the skies above our part of the valley, on blow up day, you can see the patchwork of farms in the shadow of that dark pyrocumulus cloud coming up from the burning forest’s smoke column.
All together, the 1933 fire would turn 240,000 acres of green forest into a wasteland of ash and snags. Fires would return to the Coast Range every six years, 1933, 1939, 1945, and 1951, burning 350,000 acres.
Though generations have come and gone since that day, 93 years ago today, the Tillamook Burn is a reminder that northwest Oregon’s fire season is entering its peak weeks. Please be safe, be smart, and be ready. It’s a requirement for people recreating in the woods, but an excellent idea for everyone to carry at least five gallons of water and a shovel in your car at all times during the summer months.
Share your Tillamook burn stories here, your fire safety tips, or just talk about ice cream and squeaky cheese. The interactions make the post seen by more, and helps spread the fire safety message that could protect our corner of the state from a fire like this happening again.
