Lebanon Fire District responded to two fires Monday, July 3, believed to have been caused by farm equipment.
At 2:58 p.m. LFD personnel were dispatched for a smoke investigation in the area of Bond and Mt. Hope roads. While en route to the smoke investigation crews spotted a fire in a ryegrass field that was being windrowed. After the fire was extinguished, crews talked with the farmer.
He stated that he called in the initial smoke investigation because he had a smaller fire that was started by his equipment in another part of the field. The farmer extinguished that fire with his fire extinguisher that is carried on his equipment.
At 4:50 p.m. LFD responded to a small fire on Berlin Road next to Hamliton Creek School.
A battalion chief arrived on the scene to find a fire that was 100 by 50 feet in size and growing fast. Addition resources were requested and the fire was contained after it had grown to approximately two acres.
Oregon Department of Forestry provided assistance out of Sweet Home. Both crews worked to prevent the fire from spreading to a steep hill side with heavy timber and brush. The fire was ignited by a hay mower that had hit a rock.
Lebanon responded with 10 apparatus and 16 personnel. ODF responded with five apparatus and eight personnel, with more strategically staged if they were needed.