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June 1, 2007
On a hillside above Tucker Park Thursday, Odell firefighter Dwight
Moe, left, unkinks a hose line as firefighter Wrayley McChord waits for
water to come through his hose. Firefighters dragged hoses 150 yards up
the steep hill below Nick Kirby’s orchards between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to
douse the brush fire, measuring 200 by 300 feet, which started from a
permitted burn pile. Odell Fire Chief Greg Borton said a combination of
quick response and lack of wind kept the fire from spreading to tinder-dry
small fuels in the trees. Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Forestry has
announced the start of fire season, a month earlier than usual: starting
at 1 a.m. on Monday, burning permits are required throughout Hood River
and Wasco counties. Check with your local fire agency. Hot, dry conditions
throughout eastern and central Oregon, combined with continued hot
weather, hastened the fire season, according to state fire prevention
officer Paul Halliday. |
