It’s been awhile since a Grant County story made national headlines, but it happened again last week when Sheriff Todd McKinley arrested a Forest Service burn boss on a reckless burning charge as he was conducting a prescribed burn.

The operation was designed to reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic wildfire, but when an ember jumped across County Road 63 and burned an estimated 20 to 40 acres of private ground, the sheriff was called and the arrest was made.

No one around here is likely to forget the devastating Canyon Creek Fire of 2015, which started with lightning strikes on national forest land and spread to private ground, ultimately torching 110,000 acres and destroying 43 homes and other structures. 

Last week’s arrest drew national attention and fanned the flames of debate about prescribed burning — and the first original reporting on the incident appeared on the Blue Mountain Eagle website.

The Eagle’s Tony Chiotti was on the scene of the prescribed burn earlier in the day, giving him access to sources and insights into what happened that no other reporter has. Tony’s in-depth follow-up story is now available to read online and will be the lead article in this week’s print edition.

In case you missed it, last week’s paper featured stories on the revived pool bond, the John Day mayor’s race and city council election, an issue with the Canyon City water system and the latest installment of Grant County Neighbors.

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