Fire burns across about half of Umatilla Army Depot

— A fire burned across about half of the 7,500 acres of the former Umatilla Chemical Depot before it was contained Monday, according to the Oregon Military Department.

Two older buildings used for storage on what is now called the Umatilla Army Depot burned, said military department spokesman Stephen Bomar.

The fire also burned across concrete bunkers, called igloos, once used to store chemical weapons. All they contain now is some training equipment, which was not damaged, Bomar said. Chemical weapons once stored at the depot have been destroyed and the incineration plant torn down.

The fire may have been caused by Oregon Army National Guard training, but the Oregon Military Department is continuing to investigate the cause, Bomar said.

The Oregon State Police responded to three crashes before Interstate 82 was closed for several hours, reopening at 2:30 p.m. Smoke reduced visibility.

The first involved two passenger cars and three motorcycles, with three patients taken to the Hermiston hospital. In the second, a van hit the back of a semi truck and trailer causing minor injuries, according to Oregon State Police.

The third happened when a passenger car hit the back of a semi trailer. One person from the Tri-Cities was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland and released after treatment, according to OSP. Names were not available.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Fire burns across about half of Umatilla Army Depot."