Heat and Smoke smothers National Night Out plans

As the smoke from regional fires settled into the Willamette Valley, many cities cancelled, rescheduled and relocated their National Night Out events scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4.   

McMinnville, Newberg-Dundee and Lafayette canceled their events, noting the heat and poor air quality warranted the cancelation.   

Meanwhile, the city of Dayton will move the 5 to 7 p.m. event inside at the Palmer Creek Lodge Community Center.  

 Amity decided to reschedule its event to next week, Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Amity City Park.  

Likewise, the city of Yamhill will have its event next Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Beulah Park.  

Willamina has also rescheduled its event, but has not yet announced a date and time.  

Willamina City Manager Bridget Meleney told the News-Register the city would have moved the event to the school district if summer construction was not going on.  

Due to a lack of indoor space, the event is postponed. 

“This decision was made after consulting with our Police Department, Fire Department, and other public safety partners,” Willamina officials announced.  “While everyone was looking forward to bringing our community together, the health, safety, and well-being of our residents, volunteers, vendors, and staff must come first.”  

“We are working to identify a new date and will share those details as soon as they are available,” the city announced.  

 As of 1 p.m., Carlton’s National Night Out is still set to start at 4 p.m. at Lower Park.  

Carlton announced, “While a heat advisory and air quality concerns from smoke are in effect, current conditions indicate that members of sensitive groups may experience health effects, while the general public is unlikely to be affected.” 

Community members are encouraged to take precautions: 

• Stay hydrated and take breaks in the shade as needed.  

• If you are in an at-risk or sensitive group, consider wearing a mask to reduce smoke exposure or staying home if you are concerned about the conditions.  

• If you begin to feel unwell due to the heat or smoke, seek a cool place immediately and notify event staff if assistance is needed.