Sweet Home officials report Rice Road/Crescent Hill fire contained; evacuations lifted

City Manager Ogden told the Sweet Home City Council that a brush fire near Rice Road and the Crescent Hill area was attacked by local and mutual-aid crews and that evacuation notices had been lifted. "Linn County sheriff's office confirmed that all evacuation notices have been lifted, and fire crews are now doing their mop up operations," Ogden said, adding that initial investigation indicated a truck driving through tall grass started the blaze. Ogden said a motor home and an outhouse sustained damage but that "other than that, no additional structures were harmed." The mayor reiterated that the fire disrupted power in parts of the city and thanked Sweet Home Fire and partner agencies (Brownsville, Halsey, Lebanon, SIO, Albany, and the Oregon Department of Forestry) for their response. Ogden also used the report to highlight city preparedness steps: the city has a tentative offer to sell an unused generator (about $40,000, pending final agreement with Peterson Cat) and said the CSC resiliency box behind city facilities is installed and stocked with water, MREs and tents for emergency use. Ogden told councilors that the police department is undergoing autism-friendly training and certification to help officers interact appropriately with residents who might have autism. There were no formal emergency proclamations or council directives recorded during the meeting; the report was entered under the city manager's report section of the agenda.