The Deer Ridge and Siskiyou fires will be declared contained as of 6:00 p.m. today, said Greg Alexander, incident commander of both fires and ODF’s Medford Unit forester. “There is still some smoke visible in both of these fires,” said Alexander, “but its deep in the interior. Good mop up by the crews over the last several days has made the firelines secure.”
District Forester Dan Thorpe added that smoke may occasionally be seen drifting from these fires, particularly through the weekend. “They likely won’t be declared ‘out’ until after a good rainstorm,” said Thorpe.
Today, more than 200 firefighters worked on the Deer Ridge and Siskiyou fires, which broke out Monday. The number of firefighters assigned to both fires will drop to 150 tomorrow.
Containment means the firelines have been fully completed, and hot spots have been extinguished at least 150 feet between the firelines and the fires’ interior. These measures should be sufficient to contain flare-ups within the fires’ interior, should they occur.
The cost of suppression so far on both fires is $1.7 million.
The causes of the fires are under investigation.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Containment Expected Tomorrow on Siskiyou and Deer Ridge Fires
The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest District expects to declare both the Siskiyou and Deer Ridge fires fully contained by 6:00 p.m. Thursday. Work toward extinguishing hot spots on these fires is going very well, and the chance that either fire will cross firelines is significantly reduced.
Crews tonight will patrol both fires to watch for flare-ups.
The Siskiyou Fire is 190 acres – a change in size due to improved mapping – and the Deer Ridge Fire is 630 acres. More than 850 firefighters battled the blazes.
The causes of these fires are being investigated.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal Red Team was released today, and firefighters and engines from 30 western and central Oregon fire districts returned to their home units. The team was deployed to coordinate home protection during the fires, both of which broke out Monday within hours of each other.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski invoked the Oregon Conflagration Act that day to enable the use of out-of-area structural fire-fighting equipment and personnel.
Structural fire support was provided first, and longest, by structural fire protection districts in Jackson and Josephine counties, including Ashland Fire & Rescue, Jackson County Fire District #5, Medford Fire-Rescue, Illinois Valley Fire District, Jackson County Fire District #4, Lake Creek Fire District, Rural-Metro Fire Department, Applegate Fire District #9, Jackson County Fire District #3, Rogue River Fire District, Jacksonville Fire Department and Grants Pass Fire-Rescue.
The Southwest Oregon District had additional assistance for fighting these fires from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Douglas and Coos forest protective associations, other Oregon Department of Forestry districts, local landowners and residents, and timber industry cooperators.
Crews tonight will patrol both fires to watch for flare-ups.
The Siskiyou Fire is 190 acres – a change in size due to improved mapping – and the Deer Ridge Fire is 630 acres. More than 850 firefighters battled the blazes.
The causes of these fires are being investigated.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal Red Team was released today, and firefighters and engines from 30 western and central Oregon fire districts returned to their home units. The team was deployed to coordinate home protection during the fires, both of which broke out Monday within hours of each other.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski invoked the Oregon Conflagration Act that day to enable the use of out-of-area structural fire-fighting equipment and personnel.
Structural fire support was provided first, and longest, by structural fire protection districts in Jackson and Josephine counties, including Ashland Fire & Rescue, Jackson County Fire District #5, Medford Fire-Rescue, Illinois Valley Fire District, Jackson County Fire District #4, Lake Creek Fire District, Rural-Metro Fire Department, Applegate Fire District #9, Jackson County Fire District #3, Rogue River Fire District, Jacksonville Fire Department and Grants Pass Fire-Rescue.
The Southwest Oregon District had additional assistance for fighting these fires from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Douglas and Coos forest protective associations, other Oregon Department of Forestry districts, local landowners and residents, and timber industry cooperators.
Help Wanted To Determine Cause Of Deer Ridge Fire
Members of the public who saw the start of the Deer Ridge Fire in east Medford are asked to contact the Oregon Department of Forestry. The fire started Monday, Sept. 21, 2:29 p.m., near the streets of Deer Ridge Drive and Vista Point.
The fire is being investigated by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Medford Fire-Rescue and the Medford Police Department.
Call (877) 888-7343, toll-free, to reach the Department of Forestry’s Fire Tips message line. Your information is confidential, so please leave your name, a phone number, whether you have photographs or video of the fire in its early stages, and a description of what you saw.
The fire is being investigated by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Medford Fire-Rescue and the Medford Police Department.
Call (877) 888-7343, toll-free, to reach the Department of Forestry’s Fire Tips message line. Your information is confidential, so please leave your name, a phone number, whether you have photographs or video of the fire in its early stages, and a description of what you saw.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Siskiyou Fire Nearly Contained
The Siskiyou Fire is 85 percent contained as of this afternoon, and the Deer Ridge Fire is 45 percent contained. Both fires broke out Monday. The Siskiyou Fire burned 145 acres of grass, brush and forest in the south end of Ashland, and the Deer Ridge Fire burned 630 acres of brush and some forest east of Medford.
One home and three outbuildings were burned in the Siskiyou Fire, and none in the Deer Ridge Fire. Five hundred homes, businesses and other structures were threatened by the blazes.
More than 475 firefighters are assigned to the fires. The cost, so far, of suppressing the fires is approximately $820,000.
The cause of the fires remains under investigation.
One home and three outbuildings were burned in the Siskiyou Fire, and none in the Deer Ridge Fire. Five hundred homes, businesses and other structures were threatened by the blazes.
More than 475 firefighters are assigned to the fires. The cost, so far, of suppressing the fires is approximately $820,000.
The cause of the fires remains under investigation.
Good Progress Reported on Deer Ridge and Siskiyou Fires
Firefighters completed a fireline around the 633-acre Deer Ridge Fire last night, effectively stopping the blaze that threatened hundreds of homes east of Medford on Monday. Today, crews from across the state will install hose systems around the fire and extinguish flames around home and along the fireline.
The fire is still not contained.
No homes were burned in the Deer Ridge Fire, and no injuries were reported.
Roadblocks are in place on Foothill Rd. between Coker Butte Rd. and McAndrews Rd. because fire-related traffic will be heavy today on Foothill Rd.
The Siskiyou Fire in south Ashland was held overnight at 153 acres. Crews extinguished flames and hot spots 20-50 feet inside the fireline. Although a fireline encircles the fire, the fire has not yet been declared contained.
One home, a few outbuildings and a pickup truck burned in yesterday’s fire.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for this morning, calling for above normal temperatures, low humidity and wind in the area of both fires. However, the wind should diminish in the afternoon.
The fire is still not contained.
No homes were burned in the Deer Ridge Fire, and no injuries were reported.
Roadblocks are in place on Foothill Rd. between Coker Butte Rd. and McAndrews Rd. because fire-related traffic will be heavy today on Foothill Rd.
The Siskiyou Fire in south Ashland was held overnight at 153 acres. Crews extinguished flames and hot spots 20-50 feet inside the fireline. Although a fireline encircles the fire, the fire has not yet been declared contained.
One home, a few outbuildings and a pickup truck burned in yesterday’s fire.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for this morning, calling for above normal temperatures, low humidity and wind in the area of both fires. However, the wind should diminish in the afternoon.
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