Wildfire chars hills outside Milton-Freewater
Published 7:00 am Monday, August 10, 2020
- Railroad ties burn near Madame Dorion Park as a Saturday, Aug. 8, fire jumped roads and ignited trees.
MILTON-FREEWATER — Multiple agencies responded Saturday, Aug. 8, to a wildfire in the southeast hills just outside Milton-Freewater.
The first call came at about 1:30 p.m. for a blaze that was climbing the hills in the Nichols Canyon and Marie Dorion Park area, both close to Walla Walla River Road that ends at Harris Park.
Milton-Freewater Rural Fire District took the incident lead, assisted by Milton-Freewater Fire Department, East Umatilla Fire and Rescue and Pendleton Fire Department.
Chief Rick Saager, of the Milton-Freewater Rural Fire District, said the blaze spread to about 350 acres.
The fire was considered under control by 4:30 p.m., after waxing and waning over the course of the afternoon. The flames responded to wind, jumping a road and going this way and that, Saager said.
Nonetheless, the fire only devoured wheat stubble and one old, small garage, he said.
A number of area families were temporarily evacuated and livestock was relocated, according to community social media posts.
