Cause of Milton-Freewater fire is under investigation
By Terry Murry on Thursday, July 8th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MILTON-FREEWATER – A field fire, driven by sustained winds of 25 miles per hour, destroyed one shop building, several smaller outbuildings and about 800 acres of standing grain and stubble Wednesday on the south end of Milton-Freewater.
The Milton-Freewater Fire Department and Milton-Freewater Rural Fire/EMS were dispatched to the area of Southeast 14th Street, Main Street and Sykes Avenue at 5:32 p.m. When firefighters arrived, several structures were on fire.
Within a few minutes, the fire went from Highway 11 to South Main Street forcing MFFD to call in mutual aid. Walla Walla County Fire District No. 4 assisted and Milton-Freewater Rural Fire/EMS provided additional equipment. Approximately 20 fire trucks and water tenders were on scene. East Umatilla Fire & Rescue was also one of the responding agencies giving mutual aid.
The fire spread across the Walla Walla River and into standing grain and stubble. Farmers with tractors and disks helped firefighters, locally owned water tenders, a helicopter out of Pendleton, and a 10-man hand crew from Bureau of Indian Affairs also were on hand to help fight the fire.
“Our crews, assisted by several other agencies, worked together seamlessly to save the Head Start building,” City Manager Linda Hall said. “I am so proud of the job they all did, in the face of grave danger, to save this building and several residences as well as the Frazier Farmstead Museum.”
Hall added several vehicles, trucks and vehicles were also destroyed.
The fires were contained within a few hours. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Photo courtesy of Walla Walla County Fire District No. 8.
