Hermiston, Umatilla and Stanfield firefighters struggled Friday to contain a fire that destroyed a backyard shop, two manufactured homes and two motorcycles.
Originally a brushfire, the blaze was near Rollins Lane north of Hermiston. Resident Arthur Burkenbine, 72, was burning some weeds when the flames grew out of control.
By the time firefighters were dispatched around noon, the blaze reached the nearby warehouse and was inching toward a propane tank.
Before it reached a propane tank and erupted with a boom, firefighters yelled “Get back,” as the crackling from the structure grew louder.
No one was injured in the fire, which died out after hours of burning. Hermiston battalion chief Dale Ternes estimated the uninsured shop was worth between $5,000 and $10,000. Burkenbine also had three generations worth of family heirlooms and collectibles such as magazines and records that turned to ash.
Ternes said Burkenbine was following all the regulations on a declared burning day but needed a longer garden hose.
“With the proper management, resources and assistance, you can safely burn until the end of May,” Ternes said.
Hermiston Fire Chief Pat Hart said neighboring fire departments were able to bring additional water to put out the fire.
Hart was on vacation but arrived at the scene when he heard about the fire’s intensity. He said because the weather has been especially hot and dry, fires easily become out of control.
Pointing at the prickly brush at his feet, Hart said “if you dropped a match on this, you would want to run.”
Contact Natalie Wheeler at nwheeler@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536.
This story originally appeared in East Oregonian.
