Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews had a busy Tuesday evening. A little after 5:30 p.m., a pair of engine crews responded to a reported explosion and fire involving a forklift outside Sawyer’s Ace Hardware on Third Street. MCFR says employees acted quickly in attempts to suppress the flames and prevent the fire from spreading. Firefighters arrived and contained the incident to a single forklift and were able to fully extinguish the fire within minutes. A little over three hours later, five MCFR units, Dallesport firefighters, and a National Scenic Area crew responded to a brush fire in the Mill Creek drainage near the 3000 block of Mill Creek Road. The fire was burning in very steep, brush and grass heavy terrain, but coordinated work between responders, local property owners, and neighbors kept the fire to about half an acre. Crews completed mop‑up operations, and the area will be patrolled over the next few days.