Brush fires stopped north of Madras, east of Bend
(Update: More details on fire east of Bend)
A busy June for Central Oregon wildfires was wrapping up Saturday with two more blazes battled in blustery winds, the largest burning about 25 acres north of Madras and threatening homes before it got stopped.
Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies were the first on scene of the fire, reported around :3:40 p.m. in the area of NE Barnes Drive, about eight miles north of Madras, burning to the southeast toward Collins Drive, Sheriff Jim Adkins said.
Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center spokeswoman Kassidy Kern said initial reports indicated it was an escaped pasture burn.
Adkins said green irrigation fields helped firefighting efforts of crews from Jefferson County Fire District No. 1, Warm Springs, the Crooked River National Grassland and area farmers and neighbors.
Firefighters stopped the fire’s progression within two hours, Adkins said. No structures were damaged or lost, and the cause is under investigation, he said.
Deputies did not conduct any evacuations. Residents of a couple houses were warned but stayed in place. “They had good defensible space, went out and watered lawns,” he said.
Meanwhile, crews from several agencies stopped a 2.7-acre human-caused wildfire east of the Cimarron City subdivision east of Bend, reported around 2:20 p.m.
Bend Fire Inspector Steve Stenkamp said the first engine crew to arrive reported a fast-moving fire in grass, brush and juniper trees that was spotting ahead of the main fire.
Seven engines were in the fight, including two provided by the U.S. Forest Service, along with a 10-person hand crew and air attack plane to monitor the fire, Stenkamp said. The Oregon Department of Forestry provided an engine while the Alfalfa Fire District provided two water tenders and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office provided two deputies for traffic control, for a total of 34 personnel
While winds challenged fire crews, Stenkamp said fortunately, they were pushing the fire away from homes.
Stenkamp said crews would remain on scene conducting mop-up until nightfall.
