JACKSON & JOSEPHINE COUNTIES, Ore. (July 21, 2024) – Thunderstorms that moved into southern Oregon late Saturday night have already caused five small fires across the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District, and firefighters are currently engaged in an aggressive initial attack on nearly all of them.
- The Eastside Road Fire, located along Upper Applegate Road and west of Buncom in Jackson County. The fire is currently estimated to be 1.5 acres, and forward progression has been stopped. Early this morning, firefighters were able to build a line around 70% of the fire. A 20-person crew is en route, as well as aircraft. This work will continue this morning and then mop-up will begin.
- The Canyon Creek Fire, located west of Highway 227 and northwest of Trail in Jackson County. This fire is currently estimated to be two to three acres. Additional resources are arriving on scene and firefighters are engaging in an aggressive initial attack.
- The Sugarpine Gulch Fire, located northwest of Rogue River in Jackson County. This fire is currently estimated to be half an acre. Additional resources are currently en route and responding to this fire for an aggressive initial attack.
- The Old Baldy Fire, located in the hills between Wimer and Grants Pass in Josephine County. It’s estimated to be one acre and is burning on a ridgetop. Aircraft will likely be key on this fire, as it may be difficult to access.
- Sexton Fire, located on the east side of Interstate 5, between Hugo and Sunny Valley in Josephine County. Resources are currently en route, please be aware of firefighters working near the road throughout the morning on this incident
Lightning struck across both Jackson and Josephine overnight, and more fires will likely be found today. ODF has already launched a recon mission, which was used to locate a few of the above fires. Additional recons are planned for later this morning and into the afternoon to ensure any new fires are caught early.
The fire danger level in Jackson and Josephine Counties is extreme and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level is 3. Help firefighters by following all current regulations to prevent human-caused fires. For more information about the Oregon Department of Forestry’s fire season public and industrial restrictions, visit our Facebook page @ODF Southwest Oregon District.
