PROSPECT, Ore. (Sept. 16, 2022) – A reward of $1,500 is being offered for information leading to an arrest following several fires determined to be arson in northeastern Jackson County this fire season. The reward is being offered by the Rogue Forest Protective Association (RFPA), the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District’s governing board, and Murphy Timber Investments.
Since late July, firefighters with the ODF Southwest Oregon District have responded to at least 18 small fires in and around the Prospect area. Ten were reported on ODF-protected land and eight were mutual aid incidents, in conjunction with our partners at the U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The latest three fires occurred early Thursday morning and burned a total of half an acre.
Investigators are asking anyone with information regarding these fires to call the Medford ODF office at (541) 664-3328; tips may be made anonymously. In the event a tip is provided and used by investigators, law enforcement will determine if the information provided aided in the arrest and the reward is warranted.
The RFPA is made up of a board of directors tasked with guiding the Southwest Oregon District through budgeting, staffing and all matters related to operations. Information on the ODF Southwest Oregon District is available online at our Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest and our website, www.swofire.com.