SELMA, Ore. (July 26, 2021) – The cause of the Redwood Highway Fire located on Highway 199 MP 23 has been determined to be a catalytic converter from a vehicle traveling northeast toward Grants Pass. In all, six starts were found between milepost 17 and 23, including two smaller fires at mileposts 17 and 19 respectively, and four starts near milepost 23, which grew into the main body of the fire. Additional spot fires flared from there; in all, six acres were burned. At the points of origin, it was noticed by investigators that dry fuels were particularly close to the road, likely playing a role in the ignition. It is unlikely that the vehicle will be identified, however, if anyone driving in the area at the time of ignition has information, please contact the Grants Pass ODF office at (541) 474-3152.
The Redwood Highway Fire was first reported Saturday, July 24, 2021 at approximately 6:30 p.m. as multiple small fires along the road. Multiple agencies assisted in suppression efforts, including ODF Southwest Oregon District, Illinois Valley Fire District, Rural Metro Fire, Grants Pass Fire District, Applegate Valley Fire District #9, Rogue River Fire District #1 and the U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
Fire information is available online on our Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest and our Twitter account, @swofire.