Fire burning near Hermiston

Published 2:00 pm Monday, September 4, 2023

A helicopter helps fight a the Bensel Fire on Sunday near Hermiston.

HERMISTON — A wildfire that broke out Sunday near Hermiston had grown to 750 acres Monday with no containment, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. 

The blaze burning in grass and brush prompted the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office to issue Level 3—Go Now evacuation notices Sunday, but all were downgraded to Level 2, and no road closures were in effect Monday. 

Around 8 a.m. Monday the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Green Incident Management Team assumed unified command of the scene. The fire marshal’s office said it mobilized structural firefighting resources to the Bensel Fire after Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act. Structural firefighters from Marion, Deschutes, Lane and Benton counties had been activated, according to a Facebook post.

The fire marshal’s office also said it mobilized fire boss air tankers and a helicopter to support firefighting efforts.

Most Popular

Marketplace