Update: 11 p.m.: Firefighters are continuing to work through the night on the East Evans Creek Fire outside Rogue River, the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest District says, with fire activity remaining challenging as hot, dry conditions and multiple spot fires drove rapid fire growth throughout the day, allowing the fire to spread.
“Overnight resources assigned to the fire include eight 20-person hand crews, eight Type 6 engines, four water tenders and four dozers,” a late Friday night Facebook post said. “Cooler temperatures and higher humidity are expected to help slow fire growth and allow firefighters to continue making progress overnight.”
Evacuations remain in place. For the latest evacuation information and updates, follow the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office page on Facebook.
Update: 8:51 p.m.: The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 1-Be Ready evacuation orders “out of an abundance of caution” for Zones JAC-003, JAC-004, JAC-109, JAC-126 and JAC-149-B.
Go to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for updated evacuation notices. Also see evacuation information at https://protect.genasys.com.
Update 8:45 p.m.: A shelter for affected residents is open at Hanby Middle School in Gold Hill, 806 6th Ave., according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
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Update: 8:34 p.m.: The East Evans Creek Road Fire is estimated at 1,550 acres, according to an Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest District post late Friday.
Officials first reported the fire outside Rogue River as 10 to 15 acres in size shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.
“The fire has crossed East Evans Creek Road and Meadows Road and continues to be driven by hot, dry conditions, low relative humidity, steep terrain and active fire behavior,” ODF Southwest said around 8:30 p.m.
“Firefighters, alongside our numerous partnering agencies, continue working hard to fight this fast-moving fire,” the post said. “Crews remain engaged in an aggressive suppression effort on the ground and in the air, working to slow the fire’s spread. Aircraft are actively dropping retardant while ground resources continue constructing and strengthening containment lines.
“Additional resources continue to arrive to support firefighting efforts,” according to ODF Southwest.
Follow the district on Facebook for updates or go to https://swofire.com. The Rogue Valley Times will provide updates as warranted.
Update: 7:13 p.m.: The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 2-Be Set to evacuate alert for Zone JAC-148-B in the area east of the fire. The Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest District has not reported any structures lost in the East Evans Creek Road Fire. Follow the district on Facebook for updates or go to https://swofire.com. The Rogue Valley Times will provide updates as warranted.
Go to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for updated evacuation notices. Also see evacuation information at https://protect.genasys.com.
Update: 6:51 p.m.: The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 2-Be Set to evacuate alert for Zone JAC-124 in the area northeast of the fire.
Earlier, residents were told to evacuate immediately in Zone JAC-148-A.
Update: 6:38 p.m.: Crews have been successful in catching the first two spot fires from the East Evans Creek Road Fire, but a third spot fire contributed to the increased fire growth, the WatchDuty app reports.
Smoke is hampering aviation operations in some areas.
ODF Management Team 1 has been ordered to the fire and will assume command of suppression efforts, the app reported.
Update: 6:24 p.m.: The East Evans Creek Road Fire is now estimated at 700 to 1,000 acres due to multiple spot fires, the Oregon Department of Forestry reports on Facebook.
The post says: “Firefighters, alongside our numerous partnering agencies, continue an aggressive suppression effort under extreme heat, low relative humidity, steep terrain, and challenging fire conditions.
“Crews were successful in catching the first two spot fires, but a third spot fire contributed to increased fire growth. The fire is also burning into the East Evans Fire scar, and the combination of steep terrain and active spot fires continues to challenge suppression efforts. Smoke is hampering aviation operations on portions of the fire, limiting the effectiveness of aircraft in some areas.
“Despite these challenges, firefighters continue working hard on the ground and in the air to slow the fire’s spread. Additional resources are being ordered to support firefighting efforts throughout the night. ODF Incident Management Team 1 has been ordered and will assume command to support ongoing suppression operations.
“Multiple evacuations are in place. For the latest evacuation information and updates, please follow the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. More updates will be provided as information.”
Update: 6:06 p.m.: Residents are being told to evacuate immediately in Zone JAC-148-A because of the East Evans Creek Road Fire, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The WatchDuty app reports that the fire is now at 1,000 acres.
The area of immediate evacuation for the Level 3-Go Now alert is along Evans Creek Road from Meadows Road to Round Top Road, the sheriff’s office said Friday evening.
Update: 5:45 p.m.: A Level 2-Be Set evacuation alert has been added for Zones JAC-148-A and JAC-148-B from the East Evans Creek Road Fire, according to the Genasys app. The fire is now estimated at 75 acres, per the WatchDuty app.
See evacuation information at https://protect.genasys.com and the sheriff’s office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JCSheriffOR.
Update: 5:31 p.m. The Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest District reports the Evans Creek Road Fire is now estimated at 75 to 100 acres and continues to burn in steep terrain.
“Firefighters, along with our numerous partnering agencies, are working hard to slow the fire’s spread while battling extreme heat, low relative humidity, and challenging terrain. Crews are also tackling a spot fire as suppression efforts continue,” a Facebook post said.
“A coordinated air and ground response remains underway. Resources assigned include two Large Air Tankers, one Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), two Type 1 helicopters, two Type 2 helicopters, one Type 3 helicopter, and Air Attack, all supporting firefighters on the ground. Multiple evacuations are in place. For the latest evacuation information and updates, please follow the Jackson County Sheriff Oregon.”
See evacuation information at https://protect.genasys.com and the sheriff’s office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JCSheriffOR.
Update: 5:24 p.m.: A Level 2-Be Set evacuation alert has been added for Zone JAC-016 in the area of East Evans Creek Road and Antioch Road, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The fire is now estimated at 75 acres, per the WatchDuty app.
Update: 4:45 p.m. A Level 2-Be Set evacuation alert has been issued for Zone JAC-148 in the area of East Evans Creek Road and Antioch Road, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The fire is now estimated at 75 acres, per the WatchDuty app.
Update: 4:18 p.m.: The fire is estimated at between 40 and 50 acres and an air tanker has been ordered, according to the WatchDuty app.
Update: 3:46 p.m.: The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 1-Be Ready alert to evacuate for Zones JAC-017, JAC-026, JAC-036 and JAC-147 in the area of the fire in the 18000 block of East Evans Creek Road. See https://wildfire.oregon.gov/Pages/evacuations.aspx or https://protect.genasys.com to know your zone.
Update 3:38 p.m.: The fire, named the East Evans Creek Road Fire, is burning within a previous burn scar and continues to spread at a moderate rate, ODF Southwest says. Ground resources, a Type 2 helicopter, and Air Attack remain engaged in suppression efforts as crews continue an aggressive initial attack and work to slow the fire’s spread.
Update: 3:20 p.m. Friday, July 10: The fire is up to 15 to 20 acres, according to the WatchDuty app.
Multiple Type 6 engines and Type 2 helicopter are on scene of a 10- to 15-acre grass fire along Evans Creek Road outside Rogue River, the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest District says.
The fire is being driven by wind and steep terrain, and firefighters are engaged in an aggressive initial attack to slow the fire’s spread. The fire is located in the Ramsey Canyon and East Evans Creek Road area. Road closures are in effect on both sides of the fire.
Additional resources are responding to support suppression efforts.
More updates will be provided as information becomes available.
Editor’s note: Rogue Valley Times reporter Buffy Pollock contributed to this report.