At about 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon a truck pulling a trailer in an eastbound lane of Interstate 84 blew a tire. Metal rim met pavement, causing a stream of sparks to ignite the dry grass along the interstate as the vehicle came to a stop between Hood River exits 62 and 63.

Hood River Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Anderson witnessed the incident from his patrol car and was on the scene as the fire spread from a small patch of burning grass to a serious blaze in a matter of minutes.

Anderson called in the fire on his radio and quickly helped the motorist repair his tire so he could drive to safety.

According to Fire Chief Jeff Walker, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning for the Gorge on Friday due to hot, dry and windy conditions. During Red Flag warnings the Hood River Fire Department keeps all possible resources available by only using staff and engines to respond to “true emergencies.”

Firefighters and engines from the Hood River Fire Department were on the scene within four minutes of the initial call, and in those four minutes the fire, pushed by strong westerly winds and light, dry fuel, made a fast run east through grass and brush to the back of several homes, apartment buildings and businesses along the north side of Wasco Street.

“The fire spread very quickly,” said Assistant Fire Chief Devon Wells, who was the Incident Commander of the fire. “There was definitely significant potential for a huge disaster to happen.”

As a thick black cloud of smoke grew into a small column that drifted over downtown Hood River, firefighters made quick work of laying hose and wetting down the narrow area between the south edge of the fire and the threatened residential units at the Bella Vista and Gorge View apartments.

Firefighters and police officers also helped residents evacuate their homes and direct traffic as the fire passed.

“In all, 22 acres burned,” Wells said. “Fortunately there was pretty good defensible space around most of the units. That, combined with the great efforts by everyone involved, contributed to the fire ending with no injuries and almost no structural damage.”

Radiant heat from the fire caused two broken windows on one home and some paint damage on another building, and the fire burned a stretch of fence, some railroad ties and two communication poles near the sewage treatment plant.

As crews worked to contain the south flank of the fire and slow its progression east toward the Sprint building, other crews worked on the north flank which had jumped the interstate and burned east toward the Hook and the water treatment plant.

Due to the fire burning on both sides of I-84, ODOT and the local law enforcement were forced to close both directions of traffic going into Hood River for a couple of hours, which backed traffic up for several miles on both sides of town.

Eastbound traffic was rerouted through Hood River using Oak Street, while westbound traffic was detoured around the fire via the Hood River Bridge and Highway 14 in Washington.

In all, about 75 people from 10 different agencies came together to help battle the fire. First to respond was the Hood River Fire Department, and to their aid came firefighters from West Side, Pine Grove, Parkdale, Odell, Cascade Locks and Corbett fire departments and from the Oregon Department of Forestry, the National Scenic Area and Mid Columbia Fire and Rescue.

“A situation like this shows us the cooperation of our emergency services,” Wells said. “We had everyone come together very quickly and with one large effort we were able to protect the city of Hood River.”

Wells estimates the cost of fighting the fire at about $40,000 and says it is yet to be determined exactly how that cost will be dispersed.