August 11, 2020 4:00 a.m.  

Crews from the Douglas Forest Protective Association dealt with two fires on Monday.

Kyle Reed of DFPA said at around 12:30 p.m. firefighters from their agency and from the Riddle Rural Fire Department responded to a grass fire near the 3,000 block of Riddle By-Pass Road. Crews arrived on the scene of the Riddle By-Pass Road Fire and quickly contained it at 1/100th of an acre. A preliminary fire investigation indicated that the cause of the fire was power line related.

Shortly before 3:00 p.m. crews from DPFA, Kellogg Rural Fire Department and Elkton Rural Fire Department responded to a natural cover fire mile five miles south of Elkton, near the 20,000 block of Highway 138 West. Reed said aviation and ground resources began suppression efforts. Strong winds pushed the Martin Creek Fire off the ridge top where it originated, down a steep slope containing heavy accumulations of vegetation.

Reed said the forward spread of the fire was stopped at approximately 3:30 p.m. and crews shifted their efforts to securing and cooling the perimeter of the fire. Firefighters remained on the scene of the Martin Creek Fire until 10:30 p.m., mopping up hot spots and securing control lines. That fire burned about three quarters of an acre of wildland fuels. The cause of the fire is under investigation.