At approximately 6:37 PM on Saturday, July 29th, a fire was reported by U.S. Forest Service-Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF) aircraft on Hayes Hill, located off of Highway 199 southwest of Wonder in Southern Oregon. Responding quickly to the emergency, numerous ODF units, alongside Rural Metro Fire – Josephine County, and U.S. Forest Service-Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF) initiated an immediate response.
Firefighters were on the scene of the fire by 7:15p and estimating it to be between a quarter acre to half an acre in size. Some resources were hiking into the area, while others searched for road access to bring in equipment. With an aggressive initial attack, firefighters worked quickly to help contain the blaze.
By 8:00p, ODF said the fire was approximately 50% hand lined. RRSNF’s air attack and two Type 1 helicopters continued to support the operation by dropping water where needed. ODF contracted Tanker 104, was deemed unnecessary at that time.
At approximately 9:00p, officials reported the fire had been completely lined and was successfully stopped at three-quarters of an acre. Firefighters remained on site to mop up the area and ensure no further spreading.
During the incident, a second fire was spotted by aircraft working on the initial blaze. Fortunately, swift action by firefighters limited the second fire to just 1/10th of an acre.
These incidents also highlighted the strong partnerships between fire agencies in Southern Oregon, with additional resources from Illinois Valley Fire District and BLM Oregon & Washington lending their support. Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) expressed gratitude to all their partners for their dedication to fire prevention and suppression.
The cause of both fires will be under investigation. There were no reported injuries from these incidents. No additional information is available at this time.
Source: ODF
