Man cited for Gist Road brush fire

A man cutting concrete with a masonry saw allegedly sparked a brush fire that threatened a nearby home on Gist Road east of Sisters on Friday, September 1.

According to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, the brush fire was reported at approximately 2:54 p.m. The sheriff's office reports that the fire was caused by Kevin Miller, 37, while he was operating a masonry saw. According to sheriff's office reports, Miller was using the saw to cut a concrete slab when the blade hit rebar within the slab causing sparks to ignite nearby grass.

The fire spread quickly onto a neighboring property, growing to nearly seven acres before it was stopped by fire crews. Crews from the Cloverdale Fire Department, Oregon Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service were able to stop the fire approximately 65 yards from a neighboring home, the sheriff's office reported.

There were no injuries, and no structures were damaged. Miller was cited for Reckless Burning.