More than 22,500 homes in Washington County have no air conditioning, and this week's combination of extreme heat and wildfire smoke is making that gap dangerous.
That's one in 10 homes.
The county remains under a heat advisory Thursday, Aug. 6, with consecutive 90-degree-plus days forecast and little overnight cooling. Smoke from the Grasshopper Fire, which has burned roughly 34,000 acres near Mount Hood, pushed Portland-area air quality to an AQI of 159 ("unhealthy") on Wednesday, Aug. 5, according to IQAir. The overlap means residents can't simply open windows at night to cool down.
"Hurricanes and tornadoes get flashy news reports, but heat kills more people annually than any other natural hazard," Kathleen Johnson, senior program coordinator for environmental health at Washington County, told the Hillsboro News Times on Thursday.
Johnson said late-summer heat events worry her team most because they tend to overlap with wildfire smoke season.
Where to cool off in Hillsboro
Washington County maintains an interactive map of cooling centers. Hillsboro locations include:
- Hillsboro Brookwood Library, 2850 Brookwood Parkway (10 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Friday–Sunday)
- Hillsboro Shute Park Library, 755 S.E. 10th Ave. (same hours)
- Jerry Willey Plaza splash pad, 943 N.E. Orenco Station Loop (10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily)
Two 24-hour no-turn-away emergency shelters activated Tuesday, Aug. 4, were set to close at noon Thursday, Aug. 6: Project Homeless Connect Access Center at 1440 S.E. 21st Ave. in Hillsboro (TriMet Line 57) and Just Compassion Access Center at 12264 S.W. Hall Blvd. in Tigard (TriMet Lines 12 and 43). Both welcomed pets and provided hot meals, according to the county. The county's cooling center map remains active for ongoing options.
TriMet may offer free rides to cooling centers during emergency declarations or when temperatures hit 100°F or higher. Riders should tell their bus operator they're heading to a cooling center.
Long-term help for homes without AC
The one-in-10 statistic comes from U.S. Census Bureau data as of 2023. After the June 2021 heat dome killed 72 people in the Portland metro area, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill expanding residential AC access through grants and rebates.
Programs still accepting applications include:
- Home Changes for Health Benefits for Oregon Health Plan members, which can cover an air conditioner
- Energy Trust of Oregon reimbursements for cooling mini-splits in multifamily rental housing
- State heat pump rebates for renters and owners
- Community Action of Washington County's Portable AC Program for Seniors: free portable AC units for residents 62 and older with household income at or below 60% of Oregon's median income, available through Aug. 31. Call 503-615-0771 or visit caowash.org.
- Low Income Weatherization Program through Community Action (503-906-6550, [email protected]): free energy audits and improvements to windows, doors and vents
Check on your neighbors
Johnson urged residents to look out for those most vulnerable: older adults, young children, people who live alone, outdoor workers and anyone with chronic health conditions.
"If you know somebody in your neighborhood that lives alone, check in with them," she said. "We also recommend that folks sign up for public alerts, which is a notification system to receive a text or an email when we do have a hazardous heat event coming up."
Sign up for Washington County public alerts at tinyurl.com/275smmsu. The county's full hot-weather resource page is at washingtoncountyor.gov/public-health/hot-weather.
