CAVE JUNCTION, Ore. (February 15, 2022) – Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District firefighters responded to two small fires located approximately 10 miles northeast of Cave Junction shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday morning. When resources arrived, they found the first fire to be an estimated 1/10th of an acre on BLM land and the second to be an estimated 1.5 acres on private land; fire activity was minimal on both fires and firefighters began an aggressive initial attack.
Several risk factors were present on these incidents, including steep terrain, hazardous trees and the potential for rolling logs. Despite these safety risks, firefighters were able to make great progress on these fires relatively quickly; both were 100% lined and 80% mopped up by Monday evening. With rainy conditions present and no active fire, resources were comfortable leaving the scene overnight.
Tuesday morning, firefighters returned to continue mopping up and searching for potential hot spots. An eight-person crew, two Type 6 engines and one Type 5 will remain on scene until the mop-up process is complete, and firefighters will continue to monitor the area throughout the upcoming weeks. Fire investigators are currently working to determine the cause of both fires. No homes were ever threatened, and no evacuations were needed.
These incidents serve as a great reminder that fires can start and spread even during the winter months; with the recent lack of rain, fuels are dry and ready to burn. Southern Oregon is an extremely fire-prone environment and given the right conditions, fire risks are present year-round. Please be aware and report any fires by calling 911.
Additional information is also available online on our Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest and our Twitter account, @swofire.