A fire sparked by a burn pile torched four acres between the Hillside and Gales Creek communities Tuesday afternoon, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue said.
According to a press release from the agency, Forest Grove firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 1:27 p.m. at the 10000 block of NW Shearer Hill Road.
The area, just north of NW Clapshaw Hill Road, is on the edge of the Hillside community and near Gales Creek.
Firefighters arrived on scene at 1:41 p.m., 14 minutes after being dispatched.
They found a fire burning in a cut wheat field and spreading into nearby thicker vegetation.
“Two minutes after first arriving incident command upgraded the incident to a second alarm due to the size of the fire,” FGF&R said.
The firefighters’ first priority was to stop the forward progress of the fire and protect nearby structures.
Incident commanders on the scene upgraded the fire to a third alarm, allowing for more resources seven minutes after arrival due to the rapid spread of fire in “thicker, harder to access vegetation,” which included scotch broom.
About an hour after units first arrived, the fire was brought under control.
Four acres of cut wheat field, brush, and trees burned.
“Due to the quick actions of the firefighters, no evacuations were needed and no structures were damaged,” FGF&R said. There were no injuries reported.
Initial estimates put the fire at five acres, which was later adjusted to four.
The fire sent a column of smoke into the sky, visible as far away as Buxton, which was captured on a wildfire camera operated as part of the University of Oregon’s Oregon Hazards Lab.
The cause? A burn pile lit despite an active countywide burn ban. According to FGF&R, the burn pile spread due to dry, windy conditions.
In fact, about two hours before firefighters were called to the scene, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue had issued a reminder on their Facebook page that all of Washington County remained under a burn ban.
Fire season in the area is still active, and it’s likely that most outdoor burning won’t be allowed until at least Oct. 15, depending on weather conditions.
“Some burning regulation websites that are run by Oregon DEQ might say that burning is now allowed, based off of air quality considerations, but Burn Bans established by fire departments overrule their allowances,” FGF&R said.
The agency noted that it is the responsibility of people burning to check local regulations with their local fire department before burning, regardless of the season.
Residents protected by Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, which includes the Forest Grove Rural Fire Protection District in Gales Creek and parts of Hillside, can check burndaymessage.com.
In addition to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue, numerous local agencies assisted at the fire. They include Cornelius Fire Department, Banks Fire District, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Gaston Fire District, Yamhill Fire District, Oregon State Fire Marshal and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
“Also, two community members assisted firefighters by using an excavator and tractor to help create a fire break around the fire,” FGF&R said.
In a message to the Gales Creek Journal, FGF&R Public Information Officer Matt Johnston noted that the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon State Fire Marshal provided command support during the fire.
“We thank our partnering fire departments and community members for assisting with extinguishing this fire,” FGF&R said.
Nine brush rigs, three fire engines, six water tenders, six fire chiefs, and a total of 47 fire personnel responded to the scene.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
