ODF Firefighters Respond To New Starts
Scattered lightning over Jackson and Josephine counties during the past 24 hours triggered several fires on Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands in southwest Oregon. Today firefighters, with the help of helicopter bucket drops are nearing containment on the Boaz Gulch Fire located in the upper Applegate Valley, currently reported at less than two acres in size. On Saturday crews contained the Speaker Road Fire located northeast of Wolf Creek at three acres, and the Pete’s Camp and Cinnabar Mountain Fires in the upper Applegate to less than half an acre each. Fire crews remain on high alert for new starts as lightning continues to cross the region and the ability to detect them is challenged by poor visibility caused by smoke from large fires burning to the north in Douglas County and to our south in California. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for Jackson and Josephine counties until 5:00 a.m. Monday morning for continued isolated, mostly dry thunderstorms passing through the area.