Brush fire briefly forces neighbors along St. Helens street to evacuate
ST. HELENS Ore. (KPTV) - A quick-moving brush fire forced people from their homes along a St. Helens road on Thursday afternoon.
A brush fire in St. Helens triggered an evacuation order for people living along a road on Thursday afternoon.
Brush fire in St. Helens triggers evacuation orders
Brush fire in St. Helens triggers evacuation orders
At about 12:30 p.m., police and fire rushed to the area near Railroad Avenue and Old Portland Road after reports of smoke, where they found a brush fire had started. That fire quickly spread from a quarter of an acre to 5 acres, and soon threatened homes along Railroad Avenue, according to a Columbia River Fire & Rescue spokesperson.
However, Joe Vandolah told FOX 12 that he’s lived in the area since the 1960s, and said this was “just another day in St. Helens.”
Vandolah said he’d packed a bag just in case, but had chosen not to leave.
“Get the necessities out, the valuables, the rest can be replaced,” he said.
By about 4 p.m., crews had the flames under control. A Columbia River Fire & Rescue spokesperson said they believe the fire was likely started by a campfire or a burn that was left unattended.
