May is #WildfireAwarenessMonth

After a busy couple of weeks for our firefighters, we’re happy to see rain in the forecast! Since the Medco B Fire broke out, we’ve gotten a lot of questions centered around the start of Fire Season. The reason we’re not declaring Fire Season just yet is our fuels – grass around the region is still green, and with the precipitation we’re expecting to see this week, it’ll likely remain that way into June.

With that being said, there are things you can do now to help protect your home from wildfires this summer. May is #wildfireawarenessmonth, and the following tips can save you and your family, your home, and our community.

• Make sure campfires or debris burns are completely out before walking away
• Create defensible space around your home (More info: www.swofire.com/wildfire-protection)
• Keep vehicles on roads – don’t idle on dry grass
• Report any smoke or potential fires you see

Keep Oregon Green Association has additional great information: www.keeporegongreen.org

For updates on Facebook, check out @ODF Southwest Oregon District

Medco B Fire 05/09/19 FINAL Update

*This will be the final update on the Medco B Fire*

Crews on the Medco B Fire, located 10 miles north/northeast of Butte Falls, have turned the fire over to the property owner, who will be handling the last of the mop up process. In the last day, firefighters have made strides to up the containment; the fire is now 98-percent contained, and the final size of the fire remains 345 acres.

Medco B Fire

The Medco B Fire first broke out on Saturday afternoon across two logging units on private land; one that had been recently felled and bucked, the other logged several years earlier.

The investigation into the cause remains open. No evacuations were issued and no road closures were made. ODF Southwest Oregon District would like to thank our partners who have assisted us, including the U.S. Forest Service Hot Shots.

Medco B Fire 05/08/19 Update

Crews are continuing to mop up the Medco B Fire, located 10 miles north/northeast of Butte Falls. It was first reported Saturday afternoon. A Task Force from this fire was sent to the Neil Rock Fire when it broke out Tuesday afternoon. The Southwest Oregon District is continuing to mop up both sites. The cause of this fire also remains under investigation.

Neil Rock Fire 05/08/19 Evening Update

Crews are continuing to make good progress on the Neil Rock Fire, burning 10 miles northwest of Eagle Point. It remains completely lined, and the fire is 75% contained tonight. Due to this progress, we won’t be staffing the fire overnight, and efforts will continue in the morning. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Neil Rock Fire 05/08/19 Morning Update

After working through the night, firefighters on the Neil Rock Fire have completely lined the fire, and will continue to mop up the area today. Located 10 miles northwest of Eagle Point, the Neil Rock Fire was initially spotted by the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Detection Center cameras Tuesday afternoon around 3:40 pm. One engine was sent to investigate, but due to the increase of smoke in the area, a second engine, helicopter, a bulldozer, and the Task Force from the Medco B Fire were dispatched as well. By 5:00 pm, additional resources were also called on, including a water tender and additional engines from our Grants Pass office.

The Neil Rock Fire was spotted by the ODF Detection Center staff on Tuesday 05/07/19

The fire is located in a very remote and rocky area, providing our crews with an additional challenge; access to the fire was initially hard to make. Windy conditions also helped to push the fire uphill. It was first reported as a five-acre fire. This morning, it is completely lined at 9.5 acres.

Today, there are 38 total personnel working the fire, 32 of those being firefighters. Two handcrews and two engines will continue to mop up the area.

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