Firefighters Battling Lightning-Caused Wildfires Across Rogue Valley

Medford, Oregon- Firefighters with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Southwest Oregon District continue to respond to dozens of wildfires sparked by thunderstorms that rolled through Jackson and Josephine counties Monday evening, igniting numerous blazes across the region.

As of Tuesday morning, ODF reported 53 smoke and fire calls related to the storm. Of those, 17 were determined to be false alarms or duplicates, leaving 22 confirmed fires actively being worked and 14 additional reports still pending investigation. Resources have been actively engaged on these incidents throughout the night. Seven fires have been fully lined and mopped up, while 15 remain active and staffed.

Fire crews are focusing efforts on three larger fires, including the Heppsie Mountain Fire, which is currently the largest incident. Located off Highway 140 north of Lake Creek, the Heppsie Mountain Fire is estimated at 50 acres and is burning in extremely steep terrain filled with hazard trees. Large trees were reported falling overnight as firefighters worked the area. Crews assigned to Tuesday’s day shift include four 20-person hand crews, five bulldozers, three sets of tree fallers, two water tenders, and one engine — approximately 100 personnel in total. Aerial support is also on the way, including two Large Air Tankers (LATs), two Type 1 helicopters and an air attack plane. Crews will focus on felling hazard trees and constructing containment lines to keep the fire as small as possible.

Just south of that fire, the Poole Hill Fire is burning across South Fork Little Butte Creek Road. It is estimated to be between three and five acres, and crews remain actively engaged.

EVACUATIONS:

Because of the close proximity of the two fires, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Emergency Management issued the following notices:

Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation notice Monday night for residents in the 11000-block of South Fork Little Butte Creek Road.

Level 1 – BE READY to for a possible evacuation from the following areas: JAC-325-B Heppsie Mtn Road South of Highway 140

That notice remained in place Tuesday morning. Additional fire reports have been made in this area and will be further evaluated by two reconnaissance flights scheduled to launch at 8:00 a.m.

Another significant incident, the Pompadour Fire, is located in the hills east of Ashland near East Nevada Street and Pompadour Drive. Firefighters successfully lined 100% of the fire’s perimeter, holding it at 38 acres. Mop-up operations began overnight, with approximately 10% completed by Tuesday morning. The day shift includes four 20-person crews, two bulldozers and one engine — totaling 86 personnel. Aircraft will be assigned as needed throughout the day based on fire behavior and needs.

All other staffed fires across the district are estimated between one-tenth of an acre and six acres. Fire crews continue rotating between active fires and new smoke reports as resources are freed up. Two reconnaissance flights scheduled for this morning will help confirm existing incidents, eliminate duplicates, and identify any additional starts that may not yet be reported. The ODF Southwest Oregon Detection Center is also closely monitoring camera feeds across the region’s strike zones and will report any new smoke columns or fire activity observed throughout the day.

To bolster response efforts, a strike team of five engines from ODF’s Southern Oregon Area was deployed to fires Monday night. Another five-engine strike team is mobilizing Tuesday from ODF’s Northwest Oregon Area. Additional reinforcements ordered for the day include two 20-person crews, seven engines, one water tender and one bulldozer. In total, 266 personnel are assigned to fire operations during Tuesday’s day shift. More personnel and equipment are expected to be deployed for night operations as needed.

ODF is working closely with federal partners at the U.S. Forest Service–Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as local and county structural fire departments. Officials noted that this collaborative response highlights the region’s comprehensive and coordinated wildfire suppression system.

High fire danger remains in effect across ODF-protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. With resources focused on extinguishing naturally sparked wildfires, officials are urging the public to help prevent new human-caused ignitions by following all current fire regulations and restrictions.