Small fire, big wake-up call

In Hood River, a tiny fire sounds the clarion call for wildfire preparedness

It can happen here: A blaze in a Hood River neighborhood highlighted the importance of fire preparedness. Photo: Jurgen Hess

By Jurgen Hess, July 17, 2024. “It’s a wake-up call.” That’s how Hood River, Ore., homeowner Jennifer Wilson described a July 11 blaze adjacent to her house. The fire caught her and her neighbors unaware.

“I never thought this would happen,” she told Columbia Insight.

The fire, tiny at one-half acre, burned brush and oak trees on private land, and came within 150 feet of Stonehedge Gardens restaurant.

Hood River County Sheriff Matt English designated the area around the fire a Level 2 evacuation zone, meaning residents in the zone should ready to evacuate.

English and county deputies patrolled residential neighborhoods next to the fire and closed the streets to non-residents.

Because of the fire’s adjacency to homes, six firefighting agencies responded to the fire, with the Hood River Fire Department taking the lead.

Mop up: Red flagging indicates the fire’s point of origin, just 150 feet from the Stonehenge Restaurant in Hood River. Photo: Jurgen Hess

Roland Rose, fire manager with the U.S. Forest Service Hood River office, reported that the fire was human caused, ”very likely at a homeless camp.”

Homeowners at the fire’s east edge stood outside watching firefighters hand-clearing fire lines adjacent to their houses. They acknowledged the fire came as a shock.

“We weren’t prepared for this,” said homeowner Jim Wood.

Wilson’s house is adjacent to a large area of unmaintained brush and grass. The land is planned for residential development, but is severely overgrown with fire-hazardous materials.

Wilson said she planned to organize a meeting of neighbors and the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

The Fire Marshall provides advice on protecting homes from fire, including brush and grass trimming, limbing up trees and replacing flammable bark with rock adjacent to homes. Homeowners can schedule a fire reduction visit at the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s website .

Burnables: Hood River resident Jennifer Wood surveys blackberry and tall grass next to her house. Her home was in the evacuation zone. Photo: Jurgen Hess

Homeowners in fire-prone, dry western states—even in urban areas—should be prepared to evacuate their homes and have a “ Go-Kit ” that includes water, food, valuable papers, medicines, phones and chargers, laptops, food, cash and credit cards and sanitation items.

While Stonehedge Gardens and houses were saved and the fire was small, it’s urgent that homeowners do fire hazard reduction work around their homes. This is the heart of wildfire season.

“We’ve got work to do,” said Wilson.

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