Frequently Asked Questions

Please Note: The Cornelius Fire Department no longer requires Agriculture burn permits.

Before burning, please visit the open burning website (updated daily) and please contact the Washington County Dispatch Center at 503-629-0111 when burning large amounts of debris.

Agricultural Open Burning means the open burning of agricultural waste generated by an agricultural operation that uses, or intends to use, land primarily for the purpose of obtaining a profit in money by raising, harvesting, and selling crops or raising and selling animals (including poultry) or the produce thereof. The agricultural operation must be large enough to have a profit motive as a reasonable objective, large enough not to be confused with a personal garden or hobby.

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) class for residents within the City of Cornelius boundaries is a 3. Property owners living within the Cornelius Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD) who are within 5 miles of the station and within 1000 feet of a hydrant or approved water source have a fire protection class code of 3 as well. Those properties located beyond 5 miles of the station have a protection class code of 10. For further information, contact the Cornelius Fire Marshal at 503-357-3840.

View the Fire Marshal web page.

This information can be obtained by calling the Cornelius Fire Department at 503-357-3840.

View the Fire Marshal web page.

All Tours with the Fire Department need to be scheduled in advance.

Scheduling a tour in advance allows staff to better prepare a tour appropriate to the age level and size of the group.

To schedule a tour, contact us at 503-357-3840 during regular business hours or email us.

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To sign up for a CPR or First Aid Class or to schedule classes for your employees, please email the department at Fire@Corneliusor.gov or contact the fire station at 503-357-3840.

Street Address: 1311 N Barlow Street. The fire station is located on North Barlow Street, adjoining North 14th Avenue (across from the Cornelius Elementary School).

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The City Council adopted weed and garbage ordinances to improve and enhance livability within the City of Cornelius. These City Ordinances include Weeds 6.525, Nuisances Affecting the Public Health 6.505, and Obnoxious Vegetation 6.590. For a copy of the ordinances call Code Enforcement at 503-357-3840 or send an email us.

The Cornelius Fire Marshal is Division Chief Dave Nemeyer. To schedule a commercial and/or industrial inspection of your facility, please contact him at 503-357-3840.

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In 2025, the City of Cornelius ended its partnership with Forest Grove Fire & Rescue and reinstated its own Fire Chief to better support the community’s needs, following more than 18% population growth since 2018. Chief Dave Morris was appointed Fire Chief of the Cornelius Fire Department in March 2025 and currently serves in that role.

Cornelius firefighters are available to answer your questions over the phone, or you can schedule a home inspection by calling 503-357-3840.

Fire extinguishers need to be checked annually. Even though an extinguisher has not been used, it will lose pressure over time and/or the chemical within the extinguisher can compact. The fire department does not have the capability to service and/or inspect fire extinguishers. We suggest you look in the yellow pages of your phone book under "Fire Extinguishers."

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The fire department recommends cleaning of chimneys to prevent build-up of creosote and possible chimney fire. We suggest you look in the yellow pages of your phone book under "Chimney Cleaning" or "Chimney Builders and Repairs" for this service.

The Cornelius Community Development Department provides inspections of new woodstove installations for those residents within the City of Cornelius. You can reach the Community Development Department at 503-357-3011. For those residents living in unincorporated areas, please contact Washington County's Building Inspection/Permits Department at 503-640-3470.

Contact the Cornelius Fire Department at 503-357-3840. A firefighter trained in identifying children at risk and fire education will contact you. If you know of a child who shows interest in starting fires and/or playing with fire, please contact the Fire Department. Early intervention is extremely important and may save loss of life and property from a fire started by a child playing with fire.

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It is normal animal behavior to climb trees and structures. It is also normal that the animal will come down on its own, unless it is injured. If the animal appears to be injured, the Fire Department can be called to investigate the situation and determine whether the animal should be removed or allowed to come down on its own.