RUCH, Ore. (June 20, 2025) – Progress on the Upper Applegate Fire continues to be made by resources working on the incident. On Friday, firefighters were able to complete the line around the fire and GPS map the perimeter on foot, determining the final fire size as 453 acres. Resources were also able to make progress on mop-up operations, increasing the completion of this work to 25% and bringing the total containment to 35% across the incident.
Cool, cloudy weather conditions were experienced across the fire on Friday, as well as some trace amounts of moisture at times. Wind remained a challenge to resources, but more rain in the forecast may provide a natural helping hand to firefighters engaged in mop-up efforts. Tonight, that work will continue, with 127 personnel assigned to the overnight shift. Resources include four 20-person crews, six engines, two bulldozers and four water tenders. These numbers are slightly fewer than previous overnight shifts; as work continues and progress is made, resources will be slowly decreased in an effort to be financially responsible and match the current need on the incident.
In the wake of progress across the fire, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management has decreased all Level 2 – BE SET evacuation notices to Level 1 – BE READY and cancelled other existing Level 1 – BE READY notices. All current evacuations and evacuation maps can be found on www.rvem.org/fires. Residents can enter their address and find their evacuation zone and any related notices and information. While roads are open around the fire, including Upper Applegate and Little Applegate roads, firefighters are still working in the area. Please be aware and cautious when traveling near the fire area.
The Upper Applegate Fire, located on private and BLM land on the 2000-block of Upper Applegate Road, was first reported at 12:30 p.m. on June 18 as a grass fire. Applegate Rural Fire District and the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District initially responded and found a fast-moving grassfire that was quickly growing in dry vegetation, and was pushed uphill by hot, windy conditions. Fire agencies from across Jackson and Josephine counties, including structural departments, the BLM and U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, responded with an aggressive initial attack.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. For more fire information, including current fire regulations, visit our Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest or our website, www.swofire.com.