Lebanon firefighters put out two grass fires Tuesday evening, April 23, near the intersection of Brewster Road and Payne Drive, north of the city.
According to a Lebanon Fire District report, fire crews were dispatched just before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to a smoke investigation and, upon arrival, discovered two separate fires burning approximately 300 yards apart from one another along the train tracks that run parallel to Brewster Road.
A first alarm was struck to bring additional resources to the scene, due to difficult access to the marshy fields surrounding the fire.
Fire crews split into two groups and worked simultaneously to extinguish both fires. In all, approximately half an acre of grass was burned. There were no injuries to civilians or fire crews and no equipment or buildings sustained damage.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Crews responded with five apparatus, 11 personnel, and spent approximately one hour on scene.
Although this grass fire was not started due to a burn pile that got out of control, it stands as a good reminder that fire season is quickly approaching and to be extra vigilant with your burn piles, LFD officials say. Grass is often quick to ignite, especially when we have had a few days of sunny weather.
Always call the Linn County Burn Line before you burn (541-451-1904), have a water source on hand that can extinguish a fir
e if necessary, and never leave a burn pile unattended.