Brush fire warns of firework danger

At about 10 p.m. Friday, June 28 a fire broke out near the Madras Skate Park, and quickly grew to a third of an acre in size. The cause, children setting off illegal fireworks.

The fire was called in by a neighbor who saw the almost four-foot flames from her house. Jefferson County Fire and EMS, along with the Madras Police Department responded, put out the fire, and three juveniles were cited by the PD.

As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, firefighters urge citizens to be safe when using fireworks. “We’ve already seen this year how wildfires can impact communities with the Darlene 3 Fire in Deschutes County. With temperatures forecasted to be in the 90s for the Fourth of July holiday we’ll see an increased risk of wildfire,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “We all need to do our part to keep Oregon safe and enjoy a fun, fire-free Fourth of July.”

The OSFM encourages people to keep water nearby when lighting fireworks, use only legal fireworks in legal locations, keep fireworks away from pets and children, never use fireworks near dry grass or vegetation, dispose of fireworks safely and soak used fireworks before disposal.

Locally, the Madras Sparklers show will be held at 10 p.m. at the high school. No other fireworks are allowed on school grounds. Fireworks are also not permitted on public lands like the Crooked River Grassland, other forest service lands, and Bureau of Land Management lands.