Salem woman ‘extremely relieved’ after learning Vitae Springs Fire 100% contained

By Drew Marine

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    SALEM, Oregon (KPTV) — It’s been a long day for Judy Turner, who had to leave her home off of River Road South in Salem because of a high-risk grass fire near Vitae Springs Road.

“It wasn’t until somewhere between midnight and (3 a.m. Saturday) that our area was designated as a level three,” Turner said.

Turner said she has a background in emergency services. She had an evacuation plan in place before they had to leave for Judson Middle School, which is serving as an emergency shelter for people to rest in until they get the all clear to go home.

“We were already prepared,” she said. “We had packed up the vehicles. Then it was just a matter of assembly line, getting the cages in and loading up the dogs. It took maybe 10 minutes.”

Her plan included a streamlined process to get over a dozen of her furry friends in the car and out of harm’s way.

“We came here with six Tibetan mastiffs, 18 rabbits, a bearded dragon, two cats,” she said.

She suggested others do what they can to prepare in the event they need to leave at the drop of a hat.

“Whether that’s food, water, go bags, you know?” Turner said. “Contact information, places where you can take your livestock.”

Luckily, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the Vitae Springs Fire is 100% contained but Turner and others will have to be away from home for another night while crews mop up the fire.

“I am extremely relieved,” she said. “I mean, we had done quite a bit with the property to minimize the fire hazard.”

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