FIRE ALERT: Euston Fire caused by burning, according to report
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- KTVZ News has learned the cause of the Euston Fire was reportedly caused by a resident burning, that is according to C.O. Fire. Firefighters also had challenges responding to the fire due to onlookers and vehicles obstructing the scene, also according to C.O. Fire.
Currently in Redmond and other communities throughout the region, burning is prohibited. For many communities, outdoor debris burning was banned for the season starting on June 1st.
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A three-alarm brushfire broke out late Tuesday afternoon northwest of Redmond and quickly grew to about 20 acres as numerous air and ground crews were sent to help fight it. By nightfall, with its spread stopped and 20% containment, a Level 2 BE SET evacuation alert in the area was lowered to Level 1 BE READY for the overnight hours.
As firefighters made progress, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reduced the prior evacuation notice to LEVEL 1 (Be Ready) for homes north of NW Coyner Avenue, west of Highway 97, South of Irwin Avenue, and east of Northwest Way.
On Wednesday afternoon, officials said crews were working hard to mitigate hot spots, expecting winds on the fire, and containment remained at 20%.
Meanwhile, Central Electric Cooperative had this update at 9 p.m. on their major fire-related outage:
"After fire crews successfully knocked down the fire in NW Redmond, CEC crews patrolled and inspected its facilities and equipment before reenergizing the transmission line. Power has been restored to the approximately 10,500 members affected. We thank members for their patience."
Redmond Fire and Rescue reported Tuesday night that the 20-acre fire had threatened about a dozen structures. They said the incident commander requested a third alarm for more structural protection engines.
The Euston Fire was reported around 4:25 p.m. off the 2500 block of Northwest Euston Lane and at first brought several Redmond Fire & Rescue engines to the scene, then a host of other air tankers, helicopters and ground crews from numerous agencies.
Deschutes County Sheriff's Office evacuation notice, received shortly after 7 p.m.:
Due to fire activity in the area of Euston Lane and Coyner Avenue, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office has issued the following evacuation notices:
Level 2 (Be Set) Evacuation notice is issued for the following areas:
Homes north of NW Coyner Avenue, west of Highway 97, South of Irwin Avenue, and East of Northwest Way.
Level 2: means BE SET to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
• There is significant danger in your area. Stay informed and be alert. Continue to check for updates through local city, county, and emergency service websites, social media, TV, and radio.
• Time to act—follow your emergency plan and grab your Go Bag supplies.
• If you have livestock, put your animal evacuation plan into action.
• Inform loved ones of your evacuation plan.
• Conditions can change rapidly.
• Leave if you feel unsafe.
• This may be the only notice that you receive.
A Temporary Evacuation Point is being established at Highland Baptist Church for people needing to evacuate: 3100 SW Highland Avenue, Redmond, OR 97756
Central Electric Cooperative reported a transmission line was out, affecting over 10,500 members, here's their notice:
Due to a fast-moving fire in NW Redmond, a CEC transmission line is out of service, disrupting power to members in the Redmond, Madras, and Prineville areas and further east out to Post. Fire crews are on-site, and air units have been deployed to combat the fire. The estimated time of restoration is unknown. We will provide updates as we learn more. Thank you for your patience.
This fact sheet came from the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center shortly after 6 p.m.:
Start Date: June 3 at 4:20 p.m.
Location: Northwest of Redmond, OR near Euston Lane
Jurisdiction: Redmond Fire District, Prineville District BLM
Fire Size: Approximately 15 acres
Cause: Under investigation
Fuels: Grass, brush
Structures: Structures threatened, Level 2 evacuations can be found at www.deschutes.org/emergency
Fire Crews/Resources: Interagency fire crews are suppressing the new wildfire start with the following resources: 5 engines, overhead, air attack, and one hotshot crew.
Visit the official source for wildfire information in Central Oregon at centraloregonfire.org for wildfire updates or follow fire information on X/Twitter @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire. For smoke and air quality information, visit fire.airnow.gov.
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Around 5:25 p.m., a Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch official told KTVZ News the fire had burned about 15 acres of grass and timber, moving south off Euston Lane into rimrock in the area. No evacuations were reported but some structures and power lines could be threatened, and Central Electric Cooperative reported power outages affecting 2,400 members and later increased to about 4,200 members.
A Level 2 "BE SET" to evacuate notice was issued around 5:30 p.m. by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office for an area north of Coyner Avenue, due to fire conditions." Level 2 means to "be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice," and monitor media.
The latest map available from www.deschutes.org/emergency indicated some progress, as the area west of Northwest Way was dropped from the Level 2 'BE SET' to evacuate alert:
A shelter for evacuated residents was at Highland Baptist Church in Redmond.
Numerous engine crews and air resources were on scene or responding to the fire.
A smoke plume rising from the blaze was visible over a wide area, including the University of Oregon ALERTWest camera on Grizzly Mountain. Watch Duty was also monitoring updates on the fire.
The first crews on scene reported a roughly quarter-acre fire torching in trees and pushing south, according to Watch Duty. More units were called in from Redmond and Cloverdale.
Redmond Fire officials asked people to avoid the area of Euston Lane and Coyner Avenue while crews worked to control the fire.
