Sparks from a metal-working tool ignited drifts of cottonwood fluff the afternoon of June 24, causing a fire that burned one shed and damaged another and also caused a power outage when a scorched tree fell across a power line in Baker Valley west of Haines.

The fire was reported at 3:47 p.m. at 46226 Rock Creek Town Lane, just north of South Rock Creek Lane.

Delbert and Janelle Stephens own the property, according to the Baker County Assessor’s Office.

Jerry Hampton, chief of the Haines Fire Protection District, said workers in a shed on the Stephens property were working on metal when a spark landed in fluff from the many cottonwood trees that grow along nearby Rock Creek and the upper and lower Fisher Long irrigation ditches.

Hampton said the fluff can burn readily.

He said flames spread to the shed, and another nearby shed, and then into trees, brush and grass, eventually covering about 1 acre.

Hampton said Stephens and several neighbors worked quickly, using garden hoses as well as a bulldozer and excavator, to fight the fire.

“They helped out immensely and did a really good job of keeping the fire at bay until we arrived,” Hampton said. “Special thanks to those guys.”

About two dozen volunteer firefighters responded, from the Haines, Baker Rural, North Powder and Keating fire districts, Hampton said.

He said firefighters worked on the blaze for more than three hours.

The power outage initially affected 428 meters, according to Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative.

OTEC crews restored power to all but 44 meters by 5:15, and to all customers by 8:56 p.m.

Hampton said he hopes the fire serves as a reminder that fire season is in effect, and that the fire danger is rising as warm, dry weather continues.

Rainfall at the Baker City Airport is well below average for June, with just 0.10 of an inch recorded through June 24, about 1 inch below average for the period.

Average daily high temperatures are running about 4 degrees above average for the month.