Farmers are firefighters too
By Terry Murry on Monday, August 14th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
First responders rush to the scene with all the tools they have to put out field and brush fires in Umatilla and Morrow counties. Fire chiefs are always thanking area farmers for their help. So what do they do?
When harvesting, farmers have water trucks and tractors with discs at the ready. It’s those discs that make a huge difference in limiting a field fire’s spread. East Umatilla Fire & Rescue Chief Dave Baty said he can’t stress how important those farmers are.
“Discs have put out more fire than firefighters have ever dreamed about,” he said. “They are so effective in creating fire lines, defensible space, and anchor points.”
That was witnessed most recently by the numerous agencies responding to a fire at Tutuilla Road and McKay Drive. Pendleton Fire Chief Jim Critchley said without the help of a farmer with a disc the 300-acre fire could have been even larger.
Simply put, the disc buries the stubble, plant growth and debris in the field, making it no longer fuel to feed the fire. Farmers with their discs also played a big role in fighting the Hat Rock Fire that started near Hermiston that burned almost 17,000 acres in June.
Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer said in an earlier interview that he would like to see farmers play a more direct role in preventing and fighting fires after watching the impact they made in fighting the Hat Rock Fire.
“We want to do preplanning next winter, before fire season comes,” Shafer said. “We want to be able to have things in place. We want to work with the farmers and the fire districts next year before fire season hits so we can do some preplanning.”
MyCB file photo of the aftermath of the recent fire at Tutuilla Road and McKay Drive.
