Everyone has a role to play in protecting our trees from the deadly emerald ash borer. Follow these safe firewood guidelines.

It's hard to imagine that tiny insects hiding in your firewood could significantly harm a healthy forest, but the deadly emerald ash borer threatens to wipe out Oregon's ash trees and possibly change the landscape forever.

This invasive species is so harmful that Washington County established a temporary quarantine in December after the beetle was sighted in Oregon for the first time. It is considered the most destructive forest pest in North America, killing hundreds of millions of ash trees across the country, and now it's in Oregon.

Washington County tree materials of ash, olive and white fringe tree, including firewood, must remain within the county. Wood waste from these species in Washington County must be processed accordingly and disposed of to slow the spread of emerald ash borer in Oregon.

Everyone has a role to play in protecting the state's ash trees. On their own, the emerald ash borers can only travel in a 10-mile radius. With your help, we can slow the spread of these deadly pests to protect Oregon ash trees. Learn how to identify this beetle and ash trees and follow the safe firewood guidelines below.

Firewood guidelines:

• Buy locally harvested firewood at or near your destination (within 10 miles).
• Buy certified heat-treated firewood ahead of time, if available.
• Do not move ash, olive or white fringe tree firewood from Washington County to anywhere else. When in doubt about the tree species, leave it out.

Thank you for your support in protecting our state’s ash trees. This signature tree grows in riparian areas along rivers, streams and other low-elevation bodies of water in Western Oregon. The loss of ash trees could have a significant impact on riparian ecology including loss of shade, increased water temperatures and decline in fish health.