Five acres burned Monday when a controlled burn got out of control in Hermiston.
Just before noon, the Umatilla County Fire District #1 was dispatched to the fire at Echols Road and Minnehaha Road. Crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading towards structures and pinched it off at the Umatilla River.
Battalion Chief 21 requested mutual aid assistance from Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District, Echo Fire Department and Boardman Fire Rescue District. The fire burned at least five acres in total. No injuries were reported.
Fire district officials are reminding residents to have a plan when conducting a controlled. Make sure to keep an eye on the weather and wind patterns as well as making sure you have a firebreak like an existing road, gravel driveway or pond nearby. Where a firebreak doesn’t exist, you must create one, either by plowing to expose soil or mowing and removing brush and perhaps wetting mowed grass. And always keep water nearby when burning and wear the proper person protective equipment.
