For the second day in a row, Hermiston firefighters responded to a brush/grass fire.
With temperatures above normal for the last month and little rainfall, fire season has started early in Hermiston, said Hermiston Fire Chief Scott Stanton.
“The National Weather Service has recorded this past April as one the hottest in recent history and we are seeing the results today with small grasses ready to burn,” Stanton said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, firefighters responded to a grass fire near Highway 207 that burned about five to six acres. Crews responded to Diagonal Boulevard on Wednesday for a small grass fire that originally was a controlled burn.
Stanton said the fire off of Highway 207 had access problems for firefighters after it jumped the irrigation canal, but crews from Hermiston, Stanfield and Umatilla brought the fire under control after an hour or so. Stanton said crews stayed on-scene mopping up until 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, fire crews kept the fire small to less than a quarter of an acre.
“(This) should be a reminder to citizens that controlled burns can get away from you even without heavy winds,” said Stanton.
Stanton said residents can get a copy of the burning regulations online at the Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services website or at the main fire station downtown, 320 South First St. For more information, call Fire Marshal Tom Bohm at 541-567-8822.
