Firefighters’ “quick” response to a rapid-moving brush fire south of Brownsville limited it to about 30 acres, Zach Lincoln, training captain for the Brownsville Fire District said Wednesday, July 23.
Lincoln said local firefighters were dispatched to the scene approximately six miles south of the town, near the intersection of Gap Road and Belts Drive, at 12:26 p.m.
They arrived to find a fire in a field moving towards timber. Nine agencies responded, including personnel from Harrisburg, Brownsville, Halsey, Coburg, and the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). ODF also deployed a helicopter from Eugene, which assisted by dipping water from a nearby pond. Lebanon, Scio, and Monroe fire agencies later responded to help with mop-up and to relieve initial crews.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office assisted in identifying hotspots and mapped the perimeter of the fire at approximately 30 acres, Lincoln said.
According to the landowner, the fire started from a spark while mowing brush in rocky terrain, Lincoln said.
He noted that “many of these agencies were able to make a quick response due to the Oregon State Fire Marshals summer staffing grants, which allows smaller agencies funding to increase staffing levels during the peak fire season. All of the initial responding agencies included staff funded by that program.”
Ground photos and video courtesy of Brownsville Fire District
Aerial photos courtesy of Linn County Sheriff’s Office