JACKSON & JOSEPHINE COUNTIES, Ore. (Oct. 13, 2023) – Following 134 days, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District has officially declared an end to the 2023 fire season in Jackson and Josephine Counties. Consistent rain across the district and new, green grass and vegetation growing in has allowed for all fire season regulations and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPL) to be lifted. This declaration takes effect Friday, October 13, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., and affects 1.8 million acres protected by ODF across Jackson and Josephine counties. At this time, industrial burning still remains prohibited.
The 2023 fire season on the Southwest Oregon District was not without its challenges; Firefighters on the district responded to 207 fires since the season began on June 1, 2023, for a total of 1,634 acres burned. The largest fire of the season, the lightning-caused Smith River Complex, originated in California and burned north into Oregon. While ODF firefighters weren’t able to respond during initial attack on this incident due to its location, the District was proactive with its federal partners at the U.S. Forest Service Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management as the fire began to burn toward the Oregon border. As a direct result, of the fire’s 85,429 acres, only 1,440 acres affected ODF-protected lands in Josephine County. This fire aside, ODF Southwest Oregon firefighters responded to 206 fires during initial attack and stopped them at a collective 194 acres burned. The second largest fire on the district, the Whiskey Creek Fire in Josephine County, was stopped at just 27 acres.
The largest fires of the season on the district are listed below:
| Fire Name | Date | Location | Acres | Cause | |
| Smith River Complex
(Originated in California) |
Aug. 15 | CA-OR border, Josephine County | 85,429 Total
(1,440 ODF-protected) |
Lightning | |
| Whiskey Creek Fire | Aug. 24 | Calvert Peak, Josephine County | 27 | Lightning | |
| Monument Drive Fire | Aug. 20 | 6000-blk Monument Drive,
Grants Pass |
20 | Under Investigation | |
| Timber Complex
(Lightning Complex, |
Aug. 19 | Jackson County | 17.4 | Lightning | |
| Thunder Ranch Fire | Aug. 25 | Josephine County | 17 | Lightning | |
| Roxy Ann Fire | June 27 | Roxy Ann Peak, Medford | 14 | Equipment Use | |
| Holland Loop Fire | July 21 | 7500-blk Holland Loop Drive, Cave Junction | 11.25 | Equipment Use | |
| Heppsie Mountain Fire | Aug. 20 | Heppsie Mountain,
Jackson County |
10.5 | Lightning | |
ODF has an annual goal of putting out 98% of fires at 10 acres or less; with eight out of 207 fires hitting that mark, the district nearly reached its goal, coming in at 96%.
The termination of fire season removes fire prevention regulations on equipment use and the use of fire for debris burning. This applies to the public and industrial operations on forestlands; however, industrial slash burning is still prohibited. Many structural fire agencies require permits for residential debris burning, please check with your local fire department to obtain any necessary permits before burning and ensure it’s a burn day designated by the county you reside:
- Jackson County Burn Line: (541) 776-7007
- Josephine County Burn Line: (541) 476-9663
Even though the fire season is officially over, please continue to practice fire prevention when burning debris by ensuring a burn pile is never left un-attended and using caution when using machinery that could cause a spark. Please be aware that fires can still spread in fall and winter conditions. This region is extremely prone to wildfire, and for that reason, fire knows no season.
Fire prevention tips and information from the ODF Southwest Oregon District is available online at our Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest and our website, www.swofire.com.