Today, ODF Southwest firefighters worked diligently chasing smokes and knocking down multiple fires throughout Jackson and Josephine Counties. While several of our starts are dead out, there are a handful of fires that crews are continuing to work on overnight.
The Stratton Creek Fire, burning seven miles northwest of Merlin, is estimated to be 30 acres as of nightfall. The fire originated as three separate fires burning in mixed terrain consisting of tall brush and timber on the north side of the Rogue River near Hellgate Canyon Bridge. Two of the three fires burned together late this evening which will pose a challenge to firefighters as they work to line the fire in a steep, rugged landscape. The third fire has already been completely knocked down by air and ground resources. Firefighters will continue to work on containment tonight. Air operations will resume in the morning.
The Reuben Fire, which we mentioned earlier today, was burning roughly five air miles north of Grave Creek Bridge and the Rogue River Trail. The initial estimate put the fire at five acres, but as of this evening the fire was knocked down and 100% lined at 10.75 acres. Crews will continue to mop up the interior of the fire tonight.
The Doe Spring Fire is burning right off the Josephine – Douglas County border just north of Mount Reuben. Thanks to the collaborative efforts between ODF Southwest and the Douglas Forest Protective Association, firefighters are inching closer to getting a line around the full perimeter of the roughly 6.5 acre fire. We truly appreciate the collaborative, aggressive initial attack that both agencies are displaying.
The Redwood Highway Fire is now in extensive mop up. Multiple agencies responded to the roughly 10 acre fire burning in a salvage yard and adjacent wildland off Redwood Highway 199 and Airport Drive in Cave Junction. Due to the fantastic teamwork by structural and wildland firefighters alike, the fire was knocked down quickly and all evacuation orders have been lifted. No structures were lost. Although Redwood Highway 199 was initially closed to through traffic, it is open tonight. However, firefighters will be working on mopping up this fire for several days. Due to the variety of materials burned, hot spots are more prone to pop up. We are working to eliminate any chance of reignition on this fire.
Finally, several additional fires were located and extinguished throughout the day. Tonight, firefighters are still following up on new reports of smoke in order to hold true to our mission of keeping fires small and keeping our community safe. As always, we would like to thank all of our partnering fire agencies for the continued support and cooperation.
We would like to remind everyone that the fire danger level on Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties remains at “extreme” (red). For a full list of the public restrictions currently in place, visit our Facebook page: @ODFSouthwest or our website: www.swofire.com.