Lightning hits spark blazes in SW Oregon
From our weekly issue dated August 20, 2008
(Stock photo by Illinois Valley News)
Firefighters in the Southwest Oregon District were chasing lightning-caused fires early this week in Josephine and Jackson counties, two approximately 15 miles north of Cave Junction in the Quartz Creek area.
Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) added that eight fires were found in the Grants Pass Unit protection area, and 18 were spotted in the Medford Unit. The fires burned approximately 25 acres, and individually ranged in size from one-half acre to 150 acres.
The largest fire in the Grants Pass Unit was the Birdseye Creek Fire south of Rogue River that burned 4 acres of brush and trees. The 8.5-acre Joe Dyer Fire was the biggest found in the Medford Unit.
As of Tuesday morning, Aug. 19 all identified fires were staffed. In general, the fires in the Medford Unit are scattered from the Lake Creek area, some 10 miles east of White City; between Shady Cove and Butte Falls; and 3 to 5 miles north of Lost Creek Lake in the Elk Creek area. The Grants Pass Unit fires are located east of Marial and north of the Rogue River, north and east of Merlin, northwest of Selma and south of Rogue River.
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Reconnaissance flights were under way, and crews were in the field -- quite a few were out all night -- and helicopters were on standby. Air tankers were available if needed.
U.S. Forest Service added that lightning activity during the weekend sparked at least 12 fires on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. These fires ranged from
less than 1/4-acre to an estimated 100 acres.
Nine of the fires were located on the east side of the forest on the High Cascades Ranger District, two are located north of Cave Junction on the Wild Rivers Ranger District, and one in the Gold Beach Ranger District.
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The fires are being staffed with a variety of resources including engines, helicopters, hand-crews, air tankers, smokejumpers, and rappelers according to the fire activity and accessibility.
A Type 3 Incident Management Team to the Lonesome Fire located on the High Cascades Ranger District near the Rogue Umpqua Divide Wilderness Area.
