Fire burns 60 acres

By on Tuesday, September 6th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – A fire near the Holiday Inn Express on Southwest Nye Avenue burned 60 acres before it was contained. Pendleton Fire Chief Jim Critchley said that the fire was slow moving and did not threaten structures.

It was all hands on deck as Pendleton Fire & Ambulance also had to respond to unrelated ambulance calls during the fire.

“The Oregon State Fire Marshal, as part of their staffing grant, allowed us to temporarily hire additional firefighters and deploy three brush trucks from Pendleton and still run multiple EMS calls while the fire was burning,” he texted from the scene.

There were also plenty of other first responders who came to help. Critchley thanked the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pilot Rock Rural Fire Protection District, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and a farmer with a disc for helping contain the blaze.

The initial call about the fire was received at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday. Firefighters were on the scene by 3:28 p.m., and containment was achieved by 5:11 p.m. The cause is under investigation.

Photo is a still from a MYCB video which is posted on our Facebook page.