Task forces from Clackamas and Washington counties arrive the night of July 2, 2025, to help combat the Cold Springs Fire near Hermiston. (Umatilla County Fire District No. 1/Contributed Photo)

Cold Springs Fire that erupted July 2 prompts major response from Oregon State Fire Marshal

HERMISTON — The evacuation levels for people in the area of the wildfire near Hermiston now sit at Level 1.

The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office on the afternoon of Thursday, July 3, announced the downgrade to the evacuation levels.

The official Facebook page for the  Cold Springs Fire also carried a report of the rescue of kittens.

The Cold Springs Fire started July 2 around 2 p.m., the Oregon State Fire Marshal reported. Winds 20-30 mph with gusts up to 35 mph along with temperatures reaching into the lower 90s helped fuel the blaze.

Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 firefighters were the first to take on the fast-moving fire that destroyed a home. The homeowner was reportedly trapped while trying to rescue several kittens and their mother.

Fire crews reached the homeowner just in time. Although it wasn’t safe to retrieve the animals at that moment, firefighters were able to escort the homeowner to safety.

Later that evening, the Washington County Task Force and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue firefighters on a heavy brush unit were assigned to the scene. They searched the area for the kittens and found one had died, one suffered burns to its paws and face and two were unharmed.

“The injured kitten was taken to a vet and is now recovering well,” according to the post.  “The grateful owner decided on a fitting name for the brave little survivor: ‘Smokey.'”

Initial reports of the fire threatening numerous structures prompted the state fire marshal to send four task forces and an incident management team to help extinguish the blaze.

“One home was lost, but firefighters successfully saved several other residences and a barn through aggressive direct structure protection,” according to the state fire marshal’s update. “Local landowners played a key role, using heavy equipment and tractors to establish control lines and assist with containment efforts.”

Task forces from Clackamas and Washington counties arrived the night of July 2 to assist overnight with suppression efforts and mop-up operations around structures. The OSFM Green Team, under the command of Lance Lighty, assumed command of the Cold Springs Fire the morning of July 3. Task forces from Linn and Yamhill counties arrived July 3  to reinforce containment lines and give initial crews some much-needed relief.

The fire is mapped at just over 1,900 acres. The OSFM also reported crews continue working to reinforce containment lines and monitor for hot spots throughout the area.

“This was a fast-moving, wind-driven fire with homes immediately at risk,” according to OSFM Deputy Chief Travis Medema. “The quick response and strong coordination between local firefighters, landowners and state partners prevented further structural loss and got us to a strong containment position overnight. It’s already proving to be a busy fire season — this kind of coordination makes all the difference to save lives and protect property.”

Updates on the fire status from Oregon State Fire Marshall is available here, and information about evacuation levels is available here.