Bend firefighters responded to a brush fire near the Bend Parkway at Empire Avenue Sunday afternoon. Dispatch began receiving calls around 3:00 p.m. First arriving units found approximately ¼ acre burning in the brush just east of the onramp. Train traffic was briefly stopped as fire crews worked adjacent to the tracks. Forward progress of the fire was quickly stopped and the fire contained at ¼ acre with the assistance of Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry crews. Oregon Department of Transportation and Bend Police Department provided traffic control in the area, with westbound Empire Avenue and the northbound Parkway onramp closed for a time. The fire did not jump the railroad tracks, and no structures were threatened.
The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time.
Bend Fire & Rescue would like to remind the community that despite slightly cooler temperatures, we are still in extreme fire danger. Any fire starts are very likely to spread quickly and burn intensely. Caution must be exercised around dry vegetation, particularly with any potential source of ignition such as cigarettes, hot vehicle exhaust and pipes, bladed equipment use, or cutting/grinding of metal.
