Banks Fire District, News, wildfire

Banks fire sends crew to Harney County’s Falls Fire

A joint task force of Washington and Clackamas County fire agencies, including the Banks Fire District, are responding to the Falls Fire near Burns.

According to Banks Fire, the agency’s Engine 15 left Monday morning with three Banks firefighters.

Duty Officer Victor Haney, Volunteer Intern Jack Vandehey, and Volunteer Samantha Linz are part of the task force, and are the second group of Banks firefighters tapped to help other portions of the state dealing with wildfires.

They were joined by crews from Aurora, Hillsboro, Estacada, Clackamas, and Lake Oswego, bringing an addition of 14 firefighters, four engines, and a water tender to battle the wildfire.

A crew of two volunteers left Wednesday morning for the Larch Creek Fire in central Oregon’s Wasco County.

The Falls Fire, burning in Harney County about 13 and a half miles north of Burns, is 0% contained and was last estimated to be about 64,225 acres in size, according to a press release issued Monday morning.

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Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.

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