La Pine debris burn escapes in strong, erratic winds; crews stop 1 1/2-acre brush fire, protect structures

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A La Pine homeowner’s debris burn in a burn barrel escaped in strong, erratic winds Sunday afternoon, sparking a 1 ½-acre brush fire, but La Pine Rural Fire District crews were able to keep it from reaching a nearby shop and neighbors’ homes.

La Pine RFPD responded around 2:45 p.m. to the reported brush fire in the 16000 block of Serpentine Drive, Captain Ty Miller said.

Crews arrived to find a fire of about an acre, driven by winds that shifted from west to the east, then from the south to the north, Miller said.

La Pine crews stopped forward progression of the fire after it crossed several property lines, protecting the shop and homes in the area. No structures were lost and no evacuations were needed, Miller said.

The homeowner had a hose near the burn barrel, but it got away due to strong winds.

“He called 911 immediately, which we recommend to all citizens any time a burn gets out of control,” the fire captain said.

Miller said the fire district wants to remind residents that burning is prohibited when temperatures top 90 degrees, wind speeds are above 15 mph or fire conditions are extreme.

All eight available on-duty La Pine personnel were committed to the fire for up to two hours, he said. Fortunately, no other alarms occurred and assistance from neighboring departments was not needed.

Once the fire was stopped, Oregon Department of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service crews responded to help in mop-up efforts, making sure the fire was completely out.