At 2:45 pm on Monday, June 24, Bend Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a reported brush fire along the northbound Parkway just north of Butler Market Road. First arriving crews found a brush fire being pushed to the south by gusty winds. The progress of the fire was quickly stopped, with railroad tracks to the east and a canal to the south providing natural fire breaks, and the fire was held at ¼ acre. The Butler Market onramp and the BNSF railroad tracks were closed for fire operations, but have since reopened.
Upon investigation, it was found that a train had recently passed through the area, traveling to the south. A small fire along the tracks was also reported in the Redmond area. BNSF employees stopped and inspected the train and one of the train cars was found to have a locked up brake. The car was removed from the train at the railyard for repairs and the train continued south.
Fire season has arrived, do you have a plan in the event of an evacuation? Stay informed by signing up for emergency alerts at https://www.deschutes.org/911/
