Firefighters working on the Gyda Fire, located along the 11000-block of Highway 238, made significant progress overnight; the fire is 100% lined, and mop-up operations have begun. The fire is estimated to be 55 acres burning on private and BLM land, however, GPS mapping will likely take place on Wednesday to provide a more accurate value.
The Gyda Fire was first reported at approximately 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Applegate Valley Fire Department responded alongside ODF. When resources arrived on scene, an outbuilding was discovered to be fully involved. Another outbuilding was also destroyed by the fire. Structural resources were able to defend 12 homes in the immediate area, resulting in no damage or evacuations. Structural resources stayed on scene until midnight, and conducted patrols on the residences throughout the remainder of the early morning hours, while ODF crews began mop-up operations. Firefighters were able to move 25 feet into the fire, identifying and extinguishing hot spots.
Mop-up will continue into Wednesday, as day shift crews take over; firefighters have a goal of extending the efforts another 25 to 75 feet into the perimeter. Overnight, crews ran into difficulty in the northeast corner of the fire, where multiple snags were found, creating a hazardous situation. Tree fallers are assigned to the area today to mitigate those hazards. Steep terrain is also creating a challenge for crews; safety is paramount, and thankfully, no injuries have been reported on this fire.
Aircraft will be available to this fire as needed on Wednesday, however, air resources may be utilized for detection, as there is a potential for lightning in the forecast. District resources are available to tackle initial attack on lightning-caused fires. Resources from regional partners are also at work on this fire, including the Bureau of Land Management, Applegate Valley Fire District, Jacksonville Fire Department, Jackson County Fire District 3, Rural/Metro Fire, Grants Pass Fire-Rescue, Illinois Valley Fire Department, Rogue River Fire Department, the Oregon Department of Transportation, the U.S. Forest Service, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police. These resources and partnerships are greatly appreciated by ODF Southwest Oregon District.