GOLD HILL, Ore. (June 20, 2021) – Overnight progress on the North River Road Fire, located along the 4300-block of North River Road between Gold Hill and Rogue River, proved to be extremely successful; firefighters were able to line 100% of the perimeter, and begin mop-up operations. The fire is currently 5% contained, however crews assigned to the incident today will continue to further mop-up efforts while holding the lines. Firefighters were able to GPS map the fire overnight as well, and determined it’s 60 acres in size. The majority of the fire is burning on Bureau of Land Management lands, including the Mountain of the Rogue biking trails; they are currently closed to the public for safety concerns and wildfire operations along the trails.
Additional resources arrived on scene Sunday morning for a change in shift at 8:00 a.m., including three 20-person crews and three contract engines. A type two and type three helicopter are assigned to the fire today and will be doing bucket drops on particularly difficult areas. Forecasted triple digit temperatures are posing a risk for increased fire activity and causing concern for firefighter safety; crews working on the fire today are being briefed on these challenges and will focus on holding lines, monitoring fire behavior and staying hydrated.
The North River Road Fire was first reported at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 19. 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 responded alongside ODF.
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 cause is currently under investigation; as there were no reports of lightning, it has been determined to be human-caused. Fire updates are available on Facebook, @ODFSouthwest.