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Oak Ridge Fire: April calls up sharply; chief urges caution
Summary
Oak Ridge Fire Chief Scott Hollick reported 110 calls in April—about 60 more than last year—including motor-vehicle accidents, strokes, chest-pain and cardiac-arrest calls, and described a hillside fire that required mutual aid. The chief urged caution during burn season and noted weather dependence for burn windows.
Oak Ridge Fire Chief Scott Hollick told the Westfir City Council that his department handled 110 calls in April, an increase of roughly 60 calls from the same period last year. "We're continuing to really, the upward climb in our call volume," Hollick said, and he listed response types that month: 10 motor-vehicle accidents, two strokes, four chest-pain calls, three cardiac arrests, two fires and several service and good-intent calls.
Hollick described a recent hillside blaze in the Hemlock area that required a multi-agency response: initial local efforts were supplemented by Oak Ridge Fire, which contained the incident near railroad tracks, then the U.S. Forest Service Middle Fork Ranger District worked overnight to fully contain the fire higher on the ridge. The chief said the department wants residents to be cautious during the short burn windows and to comply with defensible-space guidance from state and federal partners.
