Management of the Hat Rock Fire returned to local control Saturday, June 17, after it scorched almost 17,000 acres.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal announced its task force turned over management of the fire to local authorities at 7 a.m. that day and all task forces were leaving along with the incident management team.
“Our crews have worked hard to build and maintain a perimeter around the fire area,” Incident Commander Lance Lighty said.
No flare-ups have occurred since the morning of June 15. The final acreage for Hat Rock Fire is 16,816 acres with 100% containment.
The Hat Rock Fire and the Mount Hebron Fire in Pendleton each ignited June 13 in the wake of the National Weather Service issuing a Red Flag Warning due to high winds and other conditions that contributed to rapid fire growth and exhausting local resources.
Gov. Tina Kotek declared a conflagration on the evening of June 13, mobilizing the Oregon State Fire Marshal Green Incident Management Team and six task forces from Clackamas, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah and Yamhill counties.
Three task forces and the IMT arrived the night of June 13 and began integrating and relieving local crews to continue operations throughout the night on both fires. Transfer of command occurred at 7 a.m. June 14 with the arrival of an additional three task forces.
Chief Scott Stanton of Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 credited farmers and the “large community of volunteers who immediately responded” for helping make progress agains the fires.
Fire District No. 1 also has reported there are no injuries and the cause of both fires is under investigation.
The Hat Rock Fire at its height threatened 243 structures, 65 of those being homes, the state fire marshal reported, but no structures were damaged or lost.
The OSFM transitioned management of the Mount Hebron Fire in Pendleton back to local authorities June 16. That fire also is 100% contained and spanned 370 acres.
“Investments made through Senate Bill 762 in 2021 made a significant difference in keeping the fire to the smallest footprint and protecting communities,” according to the press release.
OSFM Agency Administrator Travis Medema thanked Umatilla County Fire District No. 1, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office and “and all the firefighters for their hard work, the landowners and community members that rose to the occasion to protect their neighbors.”
And the sheriff’s office announced it removed all evacuation alerts for the Hat Rock Fire.
