ROGUE RIVER, Ore. (August 4, 2022) – Progress on the Wards Creek Fire, located in the hills above the 3100-block of Wards Creek Road east of Rogue River, continues to be steady, as perimeter fire lines held strong on Thursday and mop-up operations kicked into high gear. The fire is 40% mopped up, reaching 50 feet in around the entire perimeter. The fire is 17 acres, burning on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and private land. The cause was determined to be lightning.
Overnight, resources will remain dedicated to mop-up operations and strengthening perimeter lines. The Wards Creek Fire was first reported Tuesday night at approximately 9 p.m. as a single tree on fire that was spreading to the surrounding area. The terrain is extremely steep with dense brush; along with these factors, limited road access and hot conditions challenged firefighters. Despite many homes in the area, evacuations were never necessary.
Due to the steady progress on this incident, this will be the final update unless conditions significantly change. Smoke may still be visible while mop-up operations continue. Fire information is always available on our Facebook page @ODF Southwest Oregon District.