Pendleton apartments destroyed by brush fire

PENDLETON, Ore. – A brush fire destroyed two Pendleton apartment buildings Saturday afternoon, leaving dozens of people homeless.

Apartment manager Terry Prock said 48 apartments were destroyed or heavily damaged, but all the tenants escaped unharmed.

“Everybody’s out, everybody’s accounted for,” she told the East Oregonian newspaper.

The blaze started just after 3 p.m., apparently in a field behind the two apartment buildings.

Matt Bowen, who lives in an apartment overlooking the location of the blaze, said he and a roommate saw the fire start and took action.

“We were knocking on doors to get people out,” he said.

Bowen said he saw people leaving the apartments coughing but did not witness any injuries.

By Saturday evening, emergency responders were transporting those who lost their apartments to the convention center. Red Cross workers from Pendleton, La Grande and Hermiston distributed food and water and helped with lodging. They expected between 50 and 75 residents, though some might choose to stay with relatives.