The pager toned out at 6am Sunday morning for a mutual aid brush fire in Estacada. Brad and I quickly made our way to the Elwood station, got all geared up and were ready to take off when Eric arrived to drive Engine 123. When we arrived on scene we found a brush fire spreading down a hill. The fire started sometime the night before when a bolt of lightening hit an 80-90 foot tree and split it in half. Although the area was a little damp the embers had a chance to grow overnight, leading to a 5 acre fire before it was completely extinguished. Because there was only one narrow road in and out of the property, all fire apparatus had to pull off the road into the brush and tree stumps. Brad and I were trying to guide Eric in E123 but he accelerated off the road quickly…right into a stump! Fortunately, it only caused minor damage and we were able to continue our efforts. Once situated, Brad and I pulled the booster line off the engine and started down the hill to keep the fire from spreading south. We traded off taking the lead on the nozzle, while the other would stand about halfway up the hill to make sure the fire didn’t spread behind us. After about an hour, the fire was under control on all sides and we were clear to return. In all, Colton sent an Engine, a Brush Rig, and a Water Tender to join Estacada, Clackamas and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in fighting the fire.
Click on the link below to hear the dispatch from C-Com: