Wildfire ignites near high school

“All it takes is an ignition source and we could have a major fire so people need to be very careful right now,” said West Side Fire Marshal Jim Trammell.

He said the cause of the blaze that consumed about one acre of vegetation, including some cottonwood trees and blackberry vines, is unknown.

However, two people were seen leaving the Hood River Valley High School baseball field. Since the fire started along a plywood fence in that vicinity, Trammell would like to locate the subjects for questioning.

“It’s still under investigation but suspicious in nature,” said Trammell.

West Side was dispatched to the field in between the baseball field and the Diamond Fruit cold storage unit about 3:30 p.m.

The flames rapidly moved through the dry materials but did not threaten any of the nearby houses.

The Oregon Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service showed up to lend assistance and the flames were quickly extinguished. One firefighter, equipped with a hose and foam, had to fight off a nest of yellowjackets.