Overnight Thunderstorms Spark New Wildfires in Rogue Valley

Medford, Oregon- Late Saturday night, thunderstorms moved into southern Oregon, resulting in five small fires across the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District. Firefighters are currently engaged in aggressive initial attacks on nearly all of them.

The Eastside Road Fire, located along Upper Applegate Road west of Buncom in Jackson County, is currently estimated at 1.5 acres. Early this morning, firefighters managed to build a containment line around 70% of the fire, halting its forward progression. A 20-person crew and aircraft are en route to continue work this morning, followed by mop-up operations.

The Canyon Creek Fire, situated west of Highway 227 and northwest of Trail in Jackson County, is estimated at two to three acres. Additional resources are arriving on the scene, and firefighters are engaged in an aggressive initial attack.

The Sugarpine Gulch Fire, located northwest of Rogue River in Jackson County, is estimated at half an acre. Additional resources are en route to respond with an aggressive initial attack.

The Old Baldy Fire, burning in the hills between Wimer and Grants Pass in Josephine County, is estimated at one acre and is situated on a ridgetop. Aircraft will likely play a key role in battling this fire due to its challenging access.

The Sexton Fire, located on the east side of Interstate 5 between Hugo and Sunny Valley in Josephine County, has resources en route. Motorists are advised to be aware of firefighters working near the road throughout the morning.

Overnight lightning strikes across both Jackson and Josephine counties suggest that more fires will likely be discovered today. ODF has already launched a reconnaissance mission to locate several of these fires, with additional missions planned for later this morning and into the afternoon to ensure early detection of any new fires.

The fire danger level in Jackson and Josephine Counties is currently extreme, and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level is 3. Residents are urged to follow all current regulations to prevent human-caused fires and support firefighting efforts.