EAGLE POINT, Ore. (July 8, 2024) – Firefighters assigned to the Salt Creek Fire, located approximately 10 miles east of Eagle Point, made significant progress last night, lining 40% of the fire. The fire is burning on steep ground along Salt Creek Road, and is currently estimated to be 1,500 acres. It’s currently affecting both private and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 1, a Type 1 IMT, has been ordered and will be in-briefed at 10 a.m. They will shadow the current resources today and take command of the incident at 6 p.m. tonight. This will bring in additional resources and allow the local districts to be ready for any additional starts that may occur.
Fire activity naturally decreased last night when the sun went down and temperatures dropped. With this advantage, resources overnight were able to put in a mix of bulldozer and hand line constructed with tools along the entire northern portion, as well as the southwest border of the fire. The eastern and southeastern portion remain largely unlined and will be the focus of Monday’s day shift. Today, 321 personnel are assigned to the fire, including 12 20-person crews, nine engines, 10 water tenders, seven bulldozers, and six tree fallers. Snags, or hazard trees, are present throughout the fire and may fall unexpectedly. This, along with steep terrain and hot conditions are hazards for firefighters on the line today. Aircraft will be heavily used again today as soon as possible, including one Type 3, two Type 2 and three Type 1 helicopters that are exclusively assigned to this incident. Air tankers will be ordered again as needed.
The Salt Creek Fire was first reported Sunday afternoon just after 4 p.m. Both ODF Southwest Oregon District and Lake Creek Fire District initially responded. When firefighters arrived on scene, it was estimated to be 2-5 acres and growing quickly in the hot, dry and windy conditions. Numerous resources were ordered, including engines, bulldozers, water tenders and multiple types of aircraft. The fire grew to an estimated 10 acres within the half hour, and 200 acres an hour and a half into initial attack. Six helicopters, two Large Air Tankers (LATs) and a Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT) were ordered, and numerous retardant drops helped to box in the fire by creating temporary retardant lines around the majority of the incident. This allowed firefighters the upper hand on solidifying containment lines overnight.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management has issued an Evacuation Level 1: BE READY for Zones JAC-316, JAC-317, JAC-319, and JAC-321. These zones are north of Highway 140 approximately 12 miles east of Eagle Point in the Lake Creek area- East of Salt Creek Rd, North of Hwy-140, South and West of Fish Lake Rd, including the Willow Lake area. There are no structures threatened at this time. Deputies are on scene to provide door-to-door notifications to houses in the areas. To find your evacuation zone, learn more about evacuations at: https://protect.genasys.com/
Salt Creek Road and Wasson Canyon Road are closed at Highway 140, and Double Day Road is closed off of Butte Falls Highway. Highway 140 and Butte Falls Highway remain open at this time.
Temperatures of 105 degrees and wind contributed to the growth, along with the dry vegetation in the area and steep slopes. These conditions are continuing through Wednesday across the Rogue Valley. The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning, which extends into Tuesday night. Fire naturally thrives in these conditions, and any new starts will have the same potential to grow. Please be aware of all current fire regulations to help reduce the risk of new fires starting in southern Oregon. Today, the fire danger level on the ODF Southwest Oregon District is high (yellow) and regulations are in place. Please be aware of and follow all current restrictions to help reduce the risk of fires in our communities. Information is available here:
- The ODF Southwest Oregon District: https://www.facebook.com/ODFSouthwest/
- The RRSNF Alerts and Notices page www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/rogue-siskiyou/alerts-notices and website homepage www.fs.usda.gov/rogue-siskiyou
- The BLM OR/WA Fire Management Page: www.blm.gov/orwafire
The Salt Creek Fire is located 10 miles east of Eagle Point and was first reported Sunday, July 7, just after 4 p.m. The cause is under investigation.