Jackson County Urges Residents to Learn Evacuation Zones as Wildfire Threat Grows

Medford, Oregon- With wildfires burning across Southern Oregon and more fire weather in the forecast, Jackson County officials are emphasizing the importance of the county’s evacuation zone system, urging residents to locate and remember their designated zone before an emergency occurs.

The system, known as “Know Your Zone,” breaks Jackson County into over 100 numbered evacuation zones. These zones help emergency managers and first responders issue clear, targeted evacuation orders during wildfires, floods, and other disasters.

Each zone corresponds with the state’s standard evacuation alert levels:

Level 1 – Be Ready: Residents should monitor emergency services and begin preparing for evacuation.

Level 2 – Be Set: Conditions are worsening; residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Level 3 – Go Now: There is immediate danger, and residents should evacuate immediately.

Emergency officials say the zone system allows them to communicate faster and more precisely, especially during rapidly evolving wildfire events when minutes can make a difference. Rather than describing broad geographic areas or landmarks, officials can direct messages to specific zones—cutting down on confusion and potentially saving lives.

To find their zone, residents can use an interactive online map provided by the county at:

👉 https://jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/emergency_management/know_your_zone.php

Once a resident identifies their zone, officials recommend:

Writing it down or saving it on a phone Sharing it with family, neighbors, and caregivers Signing up for Citizen Alert, the county’s emergency notification system, to receive real-time zone-specific alerts

Emergency managers stress that the time to prepare is now, not after a fire starts. During major incidents like the 2020 Almeda Fire, quickly issuing and receiving accurate evacuation notices proved essential. The “Know Your Zone” system was developed to improve communication and reduce response times during future disasters.

Jackson County Emergency Management is working to raise awareness through public outreach, encouraging residents across Medford, Ashland, Central Point, Eagle Point, Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville, White City, Shady Cove, Prospect, Butte Falls, Rogue River, and rural areas to learn their zone ahead of fire conditions worsening later this summer.

The push comes as dozens of new fires sparked by lightning are being actively suppressed in Jackson and Josephine counties, with conditions remaining hot, dry, and unstable. Officials warn that similar weather patterns could continue, heightening the risk of new ignitions and rapidly spreading fires.