Wildland fire breaks out west of Carlton

Ground crews from the Carlton, McMinnville and Yamhill fire districts, in addition the Oregon Department of Forestry and air support, are battling the Ball Bearing Hill Fire that was reported shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, about 10 miles west of Carlton.

“The initial caller reported seeing a glow in the distance the size of a football field,” District Forester Mike Cafferata said.

He said the blaze is about five acres in size. Crews are working all sides of the fire and have stopped its progress.

“We have it initially stopped, but I would not call it contained,” Cafferata said. “There’s a lot of fire inside the line. Winds are coming up. There’s still a chance embers could be blown outside the line. Now comes the work of stopping the progression. There’s a lot of work remaining for containment.”

He praised the efforts of the Carlton, McMinnville and Yamhill volunteer firefighters for their middle of the night response.

“There is an appreciation there for their work,” Cafferata said.

A cause has not been determined. Anyone with information regarding how the fire might have been ignited is asked to call the ODF Forest Grove District office at 503-357-2191.