Chris Collins
Baker City Herald, Ore.
(TNS)
Two Bowen Valley firefighters who persevered until finding flames in the forest Thursday were able to contain the spread to about a 30-foot circle on U.S. Forest Service property in the Black Mountain area.
Chris Galiszewski, Bowen Valley Fire Protection District chief, said he and another firefighter thought they were looking for a fire on Denny Creek when they got the fire report about 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
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And although the Bowen Valley Fire District boundary stops about 3 miles up Denny Creek, the two continued on about 10 miles up the creek and on to Forest Service ground where they had been directed by a second reporter.
Galiszewski said the fire, which was still burning when they arrived, apparently was started perhaps as a warming fire by woodcutters who had been in the area. It was left unattended and had begun to spread.
The fire was burning on the ridgeline about a mile from a group of houses, Galiszewski said.
The firefighters stayed in the area until about 6 p.m. Thursday ensuring the fire was out and would not spread among the dry, pine needle covered ground and into the trees.
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Forest Service employees were scheduled to check on the site Friday.
Galiszewski cautioned those going into the woods — as always — to make sure their fires are out before leaving the area.
“It’s still really dry up there,” he said.
©2020 the Baker City Herald (Baker City, Ore.)
