GOLD HILL, Ore. (June 21, 2021) – Despite the heat, steep terrain and dense brush, crews on the North River Road Fire, located on Bureau of Land Management land along the 4300-block of North River Road between Gold Hill and Rogue River, are continuing to make significant progress on mop-up operations; the fire is 80% contained as of Monday evening. The entire fire is currently mopped up 100-feet into the interior, with some areas even more so. The fire lines are holding strong, and the fire remains 60 acres.
Due to the status of the fire, resources for the nightshift are being slightly decreased. One 20-person crew will be on scene overnight to continue mop-up efforts and monitor for hotspots. Two 20-person crews are scheduled for the Tuesday dayshift. Two helicopters, a type 2 and type 3, will also be available for bucket drops as needed.
With dangerous conditions, including triple-digit temperatures, safety on the fire line has been a major focus for crews since the fire first started late Saturday afternoon. Firefighters are encouraged to remain hydrated and take breaks as needed. Since the start of this incident, no injuries have been reported, and no heat exhaustion has occurred. Supervisors and crews will continue to monitor each other throughout the completion of this fire, given an excessive heat warning and fire weather watch have been issued for the region.
A level 1 (BE READY) evacuation order by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Emergency Management for the 1000-3000 blocks of Wards Creek Road and the surrounding areas has been lifted. The Mountain of the Rogue biking trails remain closed to the public, as firefighting activity is taking place on the trails. The Bureau of Land Management will reopen these trails when the agency deems that it is safe to do so.
The North River Road Fire was first reported on Saturday, June 19 at approximately 4:30 p.m. The cause remains under investigation. Multiple agencies responded alongside ODF, 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, Jackson County Roads Department and numerous contract crews; these partnerships are greatly appreciated by ODF.
This will be the final update on the North River Road Fire unless conditions significantly change. Fire updates are available on Facebook, @ODFSouthwest.