A sign at a Fred Meyer gas station in Milwaukie, Ore., alerts customers that they can pump their own gas during the heat wave. Shon Teeple of Milwaukie is seen here pumping diesel fuel for his truck (the law makes an exception for drivers of diesel vehicles and allows them to pump their own fuel at all times).
April Ehrlich / OPB
Oregonians in 25 counties can pump their own gasoline through Sunday, when Gov. Kate Brown’s emergency declaration for extreme heat ends.
The declaration allowed the State Fire Marshall to temporarily change state rules on self-service pumping to protect station workers from spending too much time in the heat.
On Tuesday, Brown declared a state of emergency to last July 25-31 because of excessive high temperatures. It spans across most of the state, except for the coast and southeast Oregon.
Much of the state is enduring a massive weeklong heatwave, with some areas in the generally cooler north reaching 100 degrees and warmer areas in Southern Oregon reaching 110 degrees.
Multnomah County health officials say they’re investigating at least five deaths that may be related to the heat wave, and Clackamas County officials are investigating one potential heat-related death.
Temperatures are expected to start cooling by Monday. In the Portland area, the National Weather Service projects a high of 89 degrees and a nighttime low of 63 degrees that day, then says temperatures will dip a few more degrees on Tuesday.