JOHN DAY, Ore. — The John Day Fire Department (JDFD) responded to a large commercial fire that broke out in downtown John Day Monday afternoon.
Around 5:54 p.m., a 911 caller reported smoke coming from a building on East Main Street, according to Grant County Emergency Management. Fire crews responded and found the fire spreading. People in nearby restaurants were evacuated and additional resources from Canyon City, Prairie City and Mt. Vernon, Oregon responded.
Grant County Emergency Management published a photo on Facebook around 6:30 p.m. showing a section of a commercial plaza building with heavy smoke. The social media post asked the community to avoid the downtown area. One of the photos Grant County Emergency Management shared showed the building with a sign that read "DP Home Equipment, Inc.," which was a former Radio Shack now turned to DP Home Entertainment.
In a post on Twitter, the Oregon State Fire Marshall said they had other fire fighting agencies from Central Oregon assisting the JDFD as they worked to gain control of the fire.
"The OSFM mobilized firefighting equipment and personnel from Central Oregon through Immediate Response to John Day. Firefighters from John Day Fire & Harney County have been working to control the fire downtown John Day that began earlier this afternoon."
Cory Slayton shared a done video with KGW showing fire crews working to put the flames out.
Firefighters spent more than seven hours working to knock the fire out. At least four adjacent businesses were damaged by fire, smoke or water, Grant County Emergency Management said.
Just after 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Grant County Emergency Management posted a photo on Facebook with no visible flames.
Main Street reopened to traffic around 5:30 a.m., but a sidewalk in the area was still closed to pedestrians.
Investigators are determining the cause of the fire. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
This is a developing story and it will be updated when more information becomes available.
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