A welding project sparked a two-alarm brush fire that scorched nearly four acres over the weekend in rural Washington County, according to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue.

Around 5:51 p.m. Sunday, July 13, crews responded to a blaze near the intersection of Northwest Thatcher and Northwest Kemper roads, arriving to find flames being pushed by wind through a grass field toward two barns.

Firefighters set up protections around the structures while additional crews entered the field in specially built four-wheel-drive brush rigs to attack the fire directly.

The barns were unharmed and no injuries were reported, but approximately four acres of field and nearby light vegetation were burned. Crews brought the fire under control in about 40 minutes and remained on scene for another hour to check for hotspots.

Investigators say the fire likely started from welding activity in the field.

With summer temperatures on the rise and dry conditions persisting, fire officials urge the public to avoid welding or metal grinding near vegetation. Other activities, such as mowing or weed eating, should be avoided during the hottest, driest parts of the day when the risk of ignition is highest.

The Cornelius Fire Department, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire District, Gaston Fire District, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and AMR assisted in the response.