GOLD HILL, Ore. (June 19, 2021) – Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District firefighters are actively engaged on the North River Road Fire, located on the 4300-block of North River Road between Rogue River and Gold Hill. The fire, which was first reported at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, is estimated to be 40 acres in size. It is currently 20% lined; three 20-person hand crews will be working overnight with the goal of lining the entire perimeter.
Rogue River Fire District #1 was the first resource on scene of the North River Road Fire. At that time, it was estimated to be one acre and burning in steep terrain with dense brush. Windy conditions were pushing the fire up the slope, and it quickly grew to an estimated 3-5 acres. Multiple ODF engines, two bulldozers and multiple aircraft were ordered, including a type one and two type two helicopters and an air attack platform. Additional resources from Jackson County Fire District 3, Grants Pass Fire Rescue, Rural Metro Fire, Evans Valley Fire District #6, Medford Fire-Rescue, U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Roads Department responded.
Within three hours, the fire had grown to be an estimated 40 acres. Jackson County Emergency Management issued a level 1 (BE READY) evacuation notice for the 1000-3000 blocks of Wards Creek Road in Rogue River and the surrounding area of the North River Road Fire. That evacuation notice remains in effect.
Investigators will be on scene to work on determining the cause of the fire. In the next week, the weather is continuing to warm up; temperatures are forecasted to be in the 100’s this week. Please use extreme caution, as fires can easily spread in these conditions. Fire updates are available on Facebook, @ODFSouthwest.