WAITSBURG-A small fire broke out in a standing wheat field on Middle Waitsburg Road on August 2. The fire, which consumed an estimated 20 acres of crop, was quickly contained by firefighters from Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 and Columbia County Fire District 3.

The fire was initially reported at 2:51 p.m. Within 15 minutes, quick-thinking farmers Perry Dozier, Glen Smith, and Greg Smith had established a disc line around the fire. In farming communities, it is crucial for the farmers and fire districts to work together in order to quickly get ahead of crop fires. Farmers can often utilize heavy farming equipment to remove ignition sources from the fire's path while waiting for the field fire crews to arrive.

No details were available about the cause of the fire at the time that The Times went to print.