ELGIN — Interagency cooperation and coordination contributed to the swift response to the Jones Butte Fire on Thursday, July 27.

Battling the blaze was a multiagency effort, Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora said. Crews from the Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, rural fire departments from Elgin, Imbler, La Grande and North Powder, and La Grande Fire worked together to fight the flames.

“So regardless of jurisdiction, and if they have resources available and there’s a need, they help each other out,” Vora said.

The fire began shortly before 2 p.m. as a field fire, according to Vora. It quickly grew in size and engulfed nearby timber.

“The nature of the terrain and the wind contributed to the spread,” Vora said.

Jones Butte is a few miles northwest of Elgin between Middle and Valley View roads. Crews from the Elgin Rural Fire Protection District were the first to arrive on scene, according to Vora. Mutual aid was swiftly dispatched from other local agencies.

Shortly after 2:30 p.m. the fire crested the top of Jones Butte, according to scanner traffic.

The Oregon Department of Forestry was the lead agency on scene, Vora said. Approximately 80 personnel responded to the fire during the initial attack — 50 interagency personnel from ODF, U.S. Forest Service and contract firefighters and 30 personnel from local agencies

Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative also provided assistance by shutting down power in the area, Vora said. Electricity can arc from power lines through heavy smoke, which is an additional hazard for firefighters. Falling trees and fire retardant can also interact with the power lines.

Given the immediacy of the threat, the properties closest to the fire were asked to evacuate right away, Vora said. Union County Sheriff’s deputies went door to door alerting residents.

Landowners and residents from around the area crowded together on Valley View Road to watch the scene. One said he had seen a couple trees “burst into flames.”

A household of residents on Valley View Road were seen packing belongings in their cars around 3:20 p.m. in case of emergency evacuation. One resident said their neighbors already had been advised to evacuate and even though they weren’t advised to yet, they were loading up because “anything can happen.”

One resident described coming out of his home after seeing the smoke in the area and noting that “(the fire) really went off.”

Deputies canvassed the broader area, Vora said, knocking on anywhere from 75 to 100 doors to alert homeowners about the fire.

Within two hours the fire had grown to 80 acres, according to Willy Crippen of the Oregon Department of Forestry. By 7 p.m. the Jones Butte Fire was up to 115 acres.

A total of nine aircraft helped to battle the blaze, including two heavy air tankers, two single-engine air tankers and two helicopters. An air attack plane also was on scene coordinating the aerial firefighting aircraft.

Local agencies were released from the fire that evening, Crippen said, but ODF and other resources remained on scene overnight. Fire crews were able to lay a hose line around the perimeter — keeping the fire at approximately 115 acres throughout the night.

“Crews got good containment overnight,” Crippen said.

ODF will continue to monitor the fire — watching for hot spots and flare ups. The evacuation zones were lifted by one level on July 28. However, there were still 80 personnel on scene with six engines, three tenders and three dozers.

Crippen said that crews will likely remain on scene over the next few days. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Isabella Crowley is a reporter for The Observer. Contact her at {span}541-624-6014 or{/span} icrowley@lagrandeobserver.com.