Escaped field burn sparks 42-acre wildfire south of Madras

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- An escaped field burn raced across more than 40 acres south of Madras Thursday afternoon, threatening several structures before firefighters were able to get it under control.

Jefferson County Fire District No. 1 responded shortly after 2 p.m. to the out-of-control field burn in the area of the 900 block of Southwest Ford Lane, Fire Chief Brian Huff said.

Arriving firefighters found a blaze burning on a hillside of juniper, sagebrush and cheatgrass and threatening several structures on the other side of the ill, Huff said.

Jefferson County firefighters, assisted by the Bureau of Land Management, stopped the fire at 42 acres, with no structures damaged, Huff said.

Jefferson County EMS and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office provided support to the effort, the fire chief added.

Huff said, "The field burn was part of the exempt agricultural stubble that gets burned this time of year. It is exempt from the state regulations on outdoor burning in Oregon."