Temperatures in the Canby area climbed above 90 degrees Fahrenheit last week — a welcome change from what had previously been on pace to be one of the coldest Aprils on record — but it brought its own hazards as Canby Fire District personnel were called to address multiple large brush fires.
The first broke out at approximately 3:15 p.m. Friday afternoon in the 24500 block of South Skyline Drive.
According to Canby Fire Chief Jim Davis, the blaze burned through blackberry bushes and dry grass, eventually growing to about two acres in size.
Canby Fire arrived on the scene with two brush units, two tenders and two command units, along with a pair of automatic aid units from neighboring Aurora Fire District and the Clackamas Fire District.
A medic unit Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue assisted Canby with emergency calls while crews battled the blaze. Davis said the cause of the fire is unknown.
On Saturday, April 30, Canby Fire responded to a smaller conflagration that broke out on Barnards Road when a burn pile spread to nearby brush.
Davis estimated that blaze at approximately 300 feet by 200 feet. Units quickly brought the fire under control.