Cause of Tuesday’s grass fire in Geer Park is being investigated

A fire in Geer Park on Tuesday evening burned almost half a hectare of grass before the fire department was able to quickly extinguish it.

The Salem Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire, according to emergency manager Joe Hutchinson.

A 911 report declared the fire to be arson, but Hutchinson said he could not confirm that. “I can neither confirm nor deny until the deputy fire marshal completes his investigation,” he said in an email Wednesday morning.

A fire crew responded to the fire on the lawn in the southeast of Salem Park around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, which the city had mowed shortly before.

Crews extinguished the fire in about 30 minutes, Hutchinson said.

The fire burned because extreme heat is forecast for Salem in the coming days.

The National Weather Service is forecasting highs of 93 degrees on Thursday, followed by three days of triple-digit temperatures.

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: (email protected) or 503-929-3053.

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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for the Salem Reporter since September 2021. A native Oregonian, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has reported for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.