A legal ditch burn in northwest Redmond got away when winds picked up Thursday afternoon, causing a grass fire that raced across three acres of pasture land before fire crews could stop it, an official said.
Redmond Fire & Rescue crews responded to the fire, reported shortly before 3 p.m. in the 3600 block of Canal Boulevard, near the BNSF Railway tracks, putting up tall flames and a large column of black smoke, Fire Marshal Tom Mooney said.
Crews arrived to find the wind-driven brushfire moving quickly across several pastures, Mooney said. Limited access and the gusty winds challenged crews, who eventually were able to make a quick stop and hold the fire to about three acres. No injuries were reported and no damage to structures. All animals in the pasture were safely moved elsewhere, the fire marshal said.