SPRAGUE RIVER, Ore. – Crews are mopping up a wildfire that destroyed one home and threatened several others east of Sprague River Tuesday.
The fire broke out shortly afternoon at a home just off of Drews Road.
Wendy Henson called 911. “It started with the neighbor,” she recalled. “We just heard a loud boom, and it shook the chair in my house so we went outside to see what it was… and it was like a huge black ball of fire.”
The fire charred both sides of Malheur Street, and then jumped Drews Road.
“It spotted across the road,” said Ryan Millsap of the Oregon Department of Forestry. “And we were able to catch it up her just behind the top of the road here.”
Millsap added the fire came within inches of one home. “It’s a pretty stressful situation. I know they have a bunch of dogs and stuff that were in kennels, and we had a couple guys that were letting the dogs out of the kennels when the fire was coming.”
The fire destroyed several cars, trucks, and outbuildings.
Ironically, the fire hit a part of Drews Road that sustained significant damage in flooding in February of 2017.
Henson worries the fire damage could lead to additional erosion. “It’s going to be worse now. Now we’ve got to watch to see how much it deteriorates, takes the land with it.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fire crews are busy making sure the fire doesn’t rekindle.
“I’ve got to say, they got here quick,” said Henson, her voice breaking. “Those guys worked all night. I was amazed that we didn’t lose everything.”
Millsap adds a fire prevention message: “Things are burning quick, and fire behavior is pretty extreme right now – so careful with your fires.”
No one was injured.
Over a dozen agencies and private contractors were called in to help put out the fire.
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