No injuries in Fourth of July fires

By Terry Murry on Tuesday, July 6th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON & HERMISTON – Firefighters battled blazes on July 4, but no crews were injured.

In Pendleton, there was a three-acre grass fire on Interstate 84 east of Exit 210 on Sunday afternoon. It forced the closure of the freeway as crews contained and extinguished the blaze.

Fire Chief Jim Critchley said that Sunday night they responded to two small fires that were easily handled. He credited many citizens for refraining from lighting fireworks, which had been banned by the city late last week.

Hermiston did not ban legal fireworks and had a fireworks display in Butte Park on Sunday night. Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 Chief Scott Stanton reports his crews responded to six fires on Sunday as well as one fire on July 2.

Of those fires, Stanton said several are of suspicious origin. Fire Marshal Scott Goff is investigating the causes as well as working on damage estimates for those incidents.

No firefighters were injured in the blazes.

While Hermiston did not ban legal fireworks, Police Chief Jason Edmiston said that one person was cited for using illegal fireworks Sunday. The individual lit an aerial mortar and was witnessed by a police officer in the act of doing so.