GOLD HILL, Ore. (June 20, 2021) – Mop-up work on the North River Road Fire, located along the 4300-block of North River Road between Gold Hill and Rogue River, is progressing quickly; crews were able to contain 50% of the fire during dayshift operations. Hot temperatures and windy conditions caused multiple flare-up’s in the perimeter of the fire, however, helicopters assigned to the incident were able to effectively extinguish them, and the lines are holding strong. The fire is 60 acres burning on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.
Two 20-person hand crews will be tasked with continuing the mop-up efforts overnight, along with one type-6 engine. Significant progress is expected with lower evening temperatures and higher relative humidity.
Jackson County Emergency Management and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office 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. North River Road is now open, however, the public is advised to used alternate routes if possible for the safety of firefighters working in the area. The BLM Mountain of the Rogue biking trails remain closed to the public for safety concerns and wildfire operations along the trails.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. ODF would like to thank our partner agencies who have provided resources on this fire, including Rogue River Fire District #1, 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.
Fire updates are available on Facebook, @ODFSouthwest.