OSFM Red Team and ODF Incident Management Team 1 assume unified command of Elk Fire

July 10, 2025

BONANZA, Ore. – As of this morning, the Elk Fire is estimated at 2,000 acres with 0% containment. Wildland and structural firefighting crews are working together to gather information; more accurate mapping is expected as work progresses along the fire perimeter.

Over the last two days neighboring structural resources from Klamath and Lake counties were mobilized to assist local resources with suppression activities for the fire. Given the fire’s rapid growth and the high fire potential in the area, the Governor signed a conflagration declaration at 12:07 p.m., authorizing the mobilization of structural resources under the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM.)

Two OSFM structural task forces arrived last night, with three more arriving this morning to support suppression efforts. The mutual aid task forces from Klamath and Lake counties will return home today to protect their local communities.

Overnight operations focused on scouting and constructing fireline using both bulldozers and hand crews. Firefighters made steady progress despite challenging terrain and visibility.

Today, wildland and structural firefighters will be working together to secure existing containment lines, slow fire spread and protect homes, outbuildings, and key infrastructure in the area including a high-power transmission line to the east of the fire. Repairs to the fiber optic line providing internet and phone services east of the fire continue.

Additional firefighting resources are arriving throughout the day, allowing ground crews to engage the fire on multiple fronts.

Weather conditions today include temperatures in the upper 80s and breezy winds, which could contribute to increased fire activity.

The fire is being managed under a Unified Command between the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) Red Incident Management Team and Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Incident Management Team 1.

The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is overseeing evacuations in the affected area. Residents are urged to stay informed about evacuation levels and be prepared to act quickly. For the latest evacuation information, please visit: https://protect.genasys.com/search

The American Red Cross shelter is open at:
Living Springs Church
31897 Mission Street
Bonanza, OR 97623

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): A “TFR” is in place at an altitude from the surface up to and including 6500 feet, daily (24 hours) until further notice. Complete information is available at https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_5_2600. Flying a drone near or around a wildfire compromises the safety of pilots and interferes with firefighting efforts.

Southwest Oregon: Firefighters continue to make progress across all fires despite hot, windy conditions

July 10, 2025

JACKSON & JOSEPHINE COUNTIES, Ore. (July 9, 2025) – Firefighters are continuing aggressive suppression action across all fires in Jackson and Josephine counties, the majority of which were caused by lightning strikes following thunderstorms Monday night. The fire count remains at 72 total between the two counties, with numerous fires already caught and extinguished at small sizes. The remaining fires are staffed with resources, and progress continues to be made across the board despite hot and windy conditions, which can naturally fuel fire growth. Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Complex Incident Management Team 3 was in-briefed by the local district at noon; the team is prepping to take a portion of the fires off the district’s plate as early as 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, freeing up local resources to be ready for potential new fire starts.

Today, the following fires remain the largest incidents across the district:

• The Neil Creek Road Fire, located west of I5 mile marker 10 and south of Ashland. Firefighters have been building and holding lines around the fire despite hot, windy conditions. With the help of additional retardant drops today, firefighters have been able to solidify line around 50% of the fire’s perimeter. Tonight, firefighters will continue to work on holding and improving existing lines and building onto them with a goal of completing as much of the perimeter as possible. The fire is still estimated to be 250 acres. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management have placed Zones JAC-536, JAC-542, JAC-543, JAC-546, JAC-558 and JAC-559 under a Level 2 – Be Set to evacuate notice. More information on current evacuations can be found here: https://protect.genasys.com/. One lane of I5 is closed between mile markers 8.5 and 10.5 on both the southbound and northbound sides. Check tripcheck.com for traffic information.
• The Deming Gulch Fire, located northeast of Buncom, is currently estimated at 250 acres. Firefighters have been able to complete line around 10% of the fire’s perimeter. Steep terrain with limited access is creating challenges for firefighters. Aircraft have been working on the incident throughout the day, providing help to firefighters on the ground. Tonight, two additional bulldozers will be working around the perimeter to continue lining the fire’s edge. There are currently no evacuation notices on this incident.
• The Heppsie Mountain Fire, located south of Highway 140, is now 65% lined and remains at 40 acres in size. Firefighters are continuing to push forward on progress despite the heat and wind. Steep slopes and falling trees continue to be hazards to firefighters on this incident. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management have issued a Level 1 – BE READY for a possible evacuation from the following areas: JAC-325-B Heppsie Mountain Road south of Highway 140 and the zone immediately to the south, JAC-326. More information on current evacuations can be found here: https://protect.genasys.com/
• The Poole Hill Fire, located south of the Heppsie Mountain Fire. Firefighters completed their line around the fire’s perimeter today, holding it at a final size of 11.5 acres. Work is continuing to bolster these lines and begin mop-up operations. Evacuation notifications for the Heppsie Mountain Fire apply to this incident as well.
• The North Fork Deer Creek Fire, located in the hills above the 8000-block of Deer Creek Road east of Selma. Firefighters are holding this fire at 42 acres, despite hot and windy conditions. Three 20-person crews, two engines and a water tender have been ordered for tonight’s shift. Resources will work on lining the fire to keep it in its current footprint. There are no current evacuation orders for this incident.
• The Jim Me Peak Fire, located in a remote area south of Applegate. This fire is estimated to be 70 acres and has slightly grown today in hot, windy conditions. Despite this, firefighters have lined 30% of the fire’s edge with a mix of hand-dug line and bulldozer line. Resources will continue to be engaged in an aggressive attack overnight.
• The Palmer Peak Fire, located to the southeast of the Jim Me Peak Fire. Currently estimated to be 90 acres, firefighters have built line around 40% of the fire today. Resources will continue this work overnight.

Numerous other fires are staffed across the district and are being kept at small sizes. Due to the large amount of fires, updates on smaller incidents are not being provided at this time; if conditions change and there are any threats to homes, communities or roads, information will be provided as timely and accurately as possible. Team 3 resources will also provide additional support to public information needs.

ODF and the Bureau of Land Management greatly appreciate the support of our communities during the aggressive firefight that has ensued since Monday evening; local firefighters and resources have been working around the clock since the first reports of smoke were taken, and the outpouring of support from southern Oregon is seen, heard and felt, providing continued motivation to the boots on the ground.

High fire danger is currently in effect on ODF-protected land in Jackson and Josephine counties; as firefighters work to extinguish these natural fire starts, help prevent new human-caused fires from sparking by following all regulations currently in place: https://swofire.com/public-fire-restrictions/.

For fire information anytime, visit our Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest or our website, www.swofire.com.

Dept. of Forestry Complex Incident Management Team 3 makes progress on lightning fires as temperatures increase in Southwest Oregon

July 10, 2025

JACKSON & JOSEPHINE COUNTIES, Ore. (July 10, 2025)—Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Complex Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the Grizzly Complex this morning, and the Neil Creek Road Fire that is not part of the complex. ODF Southwest Oregon District continues suppression efforts on additional fires started by lightning on Monday.

At this time, more than 1,300 personnel are assigned to the fires, with many more on the way. These additional crews and resources continue to arrive to provide relief to existing local district personnel, allowing them to continue work on other fires within the district and be ready to respond to potential new fire starts.

Significant progress was made on numerous fires managed by both district personnel and ODF Team 3 with continued aggressive, direct suppression efforts. “Increased temperatures, windy conditions and rugged terrain challenged crews today, but it was a successful day of safe firefighting,” said ODF Team 3 Incident Commander Tyler McCarty.

Today, the following fires remain the largest incidents across the district:

• The Neil Creek Road Fire, located west of I-5 mile marker 10 and south of Ashland. Today, crews completed dozer line on the south end of the fire and continued to build direct lines elsewhere around the fire’s perimeter. Crews continued mop-up operations along the north end of the fire. The fire remains estimated at 250 acres. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management are maintaining evacuation notices for Zones JAC-536, JAC-542, JAC-543, JAC-546, JAC-558 and JAC-559 under a Level 2 – Be Set. More information on current evacuations can be found at: https://protect.genasys.com/. One lane of I-5 is closed between mile markers 8.5 and 10.5 on southbound lanes only. Check tripcheck.com for up-to-date traffic information.
• The Deming Gulch Fire, located northeast of Buncom, is currently estimated at 250 acres. Firefighters continued additional line construction along the west flank and will begin adding hose lays through night shift tonight. There are currently no evacuation notices on this incident.
• The Heppsie Mountain Fire, located south of Highway 140. Firefighters completed 65% of the line around the the Heppsie Mountain Fire today, and began mop up that will continue into the night, it’s still estimated to be 40 acres in size. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management have issued a Level 1 – BE READY for a possible evacuation from the following areas: JAC-325-B Heppsie Mountain Road south of Highway 140 and the zone immediately to the south, JAC-326. More information on current evacuations can be found here: https://protect.genasys.com/.
• The Poole Hill Fire, located south of the Heppsie Mountain Fire. Firefighters continue mop up operations while maintaining lines, keeping the fire at a final size of 11.5 acres. Evacuation notifications for the Heppsie Mountain Fire apply to this incident as well.
• The North Fork Deer Creek Fire, located in the hills above the 8000-block of Deer Creek Road east of Selma. Crews continue mop up operations, holding it at 42 acres. There are no current evacuation orders for this incident.
• The Jim Me Peak Fire, located in a remote area south of Applegate. The fire remained very active today, but firefighters continue to remain heavily engaged in an aggressive attack as hot, windy conditions persist into the evening.
• The Palmer Peak Fire, located to the southeast of the Jim Me Peak Fire. Today, firefighters completed line around the fire, and mop up operations have begun. The fire is currently estimated to be 90 acres.
• The Holcomb Peak Fire, located southwest of Williams. Today, firefighters worked to hold line around the fire and build more. Hot and windy conditions challenged crews, but resources will remain engaged overnight.

Aircraft were used heavily all day, contributing to success across all fires in the district. As a reminder, drone use around fires is illegal, and incredibly dangerous to pilots working on incidents; if you fly, we can’t. All illegal drone use will be reported to law enforcement.

Most of these fires were caused by lightning strikes following thunderstorms Monday night. The fire count remains at 72 total between the two counties, with numerous fires already caught and extinguished at small sizes.

Other small fires are still staffed across the district. Due to the large number of fires, updates on smaller incidents are not being provided at this time; if conditions change and there are any threats to homes, communities or roads, information will be provided as timely and accurately as possible.

High fire danger is currently in effect on ODF-protected land in Jackson and Josephine counties; as firefighters work to extinguish these natural fire starts, help prevent new human-caused fires from sparking by following all regulations currently in place: https://swofire.com/public-fire-restrictions/.

For fire local information anytime, visit the district’s Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest or website, www.swofire.com.

Southwest Oregon: ODF Incident Management Team in-briefs on lightning fires this morning, aggressive attack continues across district

July 9, 2025

JACKSON & JOSEPHINE COUNTIES, Ore. (July 9, 2025) – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District is continuing to put up an aggressive attack on fires across Jackson and Josephine counties that were sparked by thunderstorms Monday night. In all, 72 have been identified on ODF-protected land in the two counties, and since the start of the storm, firefighters have worked nonstop to respond to all reports of fire, keeping them as small as possible with the limited resources that are currently available. This morning, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Complex Incident Management Team 3 will in-brief at noon to take a portion of the fires off the district’s plate, allowing local firefighters to focus on a smaller number of lingering fires and be ready for any new reports of fire that could come in. Team 3 is expected to take command of their assigned incidents at 6:00 p.m. tonight.

Overnight, firefighters remained engaged on fires across both counties, the largest being the Neil Creek Road Fire located west of I5 and south of Ashland. It’s estimated to be 250 acres and forced the closure of one lane of I5 southbound overnight between mile markers 8.5 and 10.5. This lane closure is still currently in effect, check tripcheck.com for updates. This fire has also prompted the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management to place Level 2 evacuation notices into effect for the surrounding area; all evacuation information can be found here: https://protect.genasys.com/. The second largest fire is the Deming Gulch Fire located northeast of Buncom, estimated at 200 acres this morning. No evacuation notices are currently in effect for this incident.

“We recognize how these fires are affecting our communities, and that’s why our attack on them has been so aggressive from the start,” ODF Southwest Oregon District Forester Dan Quinones said. “With the amount of lightning and limited rain that came with Monday’s storm, we knew the possibility of a large number of fires across the district was on the table, and we geared up to fight. That is a position that we have not let up on since then. Our communities can be proud of our local firefighters – they answered the call two days ago and have tirelessly continued to since then.”

This morning, the largest fires across the district include:

• The Neil Creek Road Fire, located west of I5 mile marker 10 and south of Ashland. Firefighters are estimating the fire is 250 acres and were finding and extinguishing spot fires overnight due to windy conditions. Building a line around the fire’s perimeter will continue to be the main objective today, with structural firefighters staging to protect homes and outbuildings in the nearby area. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management have placed Zones JAC-536, JAC-542, JAC-543, JAC-546, JAC-558 and JAC-559 under a Level 2 – Be Set to evacuate notice. More information on current evacuations can be found here: https://protect.genasys.com/. One lane of I5 southbound is closed between mile markers 8.5 and 10.5. Check tripcheck.com for traffic information.
• The Deming Gulch Fire, located northeast of Buncom, is currently estimated at 200 acres. Firefighters remained engaged on the fire overnight, including engines and bulldozers. Firefighters are working to line the fire and today, six 20-person crews and a bulldozer are assigned to this incident. Aircraft will also be used as needed. There are currently no evacuation notices on this incident.
• The Heppsie Mountain Fire, located south of Highway 140. The fire remains 50% lined and is considered 30% contained overall. Strong winds threatened the lines built around the fire, but resources were able to keep it in its current footprint of an estimated 40 acres overnight. One engine, five bulldozers, four sets of tree fallers, four 20-person crews and aircraft will continue to be assigned to the fire today. Steep slopes and falling trees continue to be hazards to firefighters on this incident. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management have issued a Level 1 – BE READY for a possible evacuation from the following areas: JAC-325-B Heppsie Mountain Road south of Highway 140 and the zone immediately to the south, JAC-326. More information on current evacuations can be found here: https://protect.genasys.com/
• The Poole Hill Fire, located south of the Heppsie Mountain Fire. The fire is still estimated to be between 12 – 15 acres, however firefighters continue to make progress, holding onto the 80% of line that was built through strong winds. Work will continue today with the goal of closing the perimeter if possible, however steep slopes are creating a challenge to firefighters. Evacuation notifications for the Heppsie Mountain Fire apply to this incident as well.
• The Jim Me Peak Fire, located in a remote area south of Applegate. This fire is estimated to be 40 acres and has burned into another small nearby fire named the Ladybug Gulch Fire, which was originally 4.5 acres. These two fere caused by lightning strikes located in very close proximity, which led to the fires burning into one. Resources continue to be engaged in an aggressive attack. Multiple 20-person crews, engines and bulldozers have been ordered and will continue progress on lining the fire’s edge today.
• The Palmer Peak Fire, located to the southeast of the Jim Me Peak Fire. Currently estimated to be 90 acres, firefighters are continuing an aggressive attack. Engines, a bulldozer and aircraft have been working on this incident and will continue to today.

Across all incidents, 435 personnel will be working today’s dayshift. Additional resources are continuing to be ordered as needed, however some have not readily been available due to current state and nationwide incidents. Despite these challenges, firefighters have successfully extinguished 11 fires across the district, the largest being the Pompadour Fire located east of Ashland at 38 acres. This work has been done in partnership with our local and federal partners; Collectively as a firefighting system, our continued goal is to keep all fires as small as possible and extinguish them as fast as we can.

High fire danger is currently in effect on ODF-protected land in Jackson and Josephine counties; as firefighters work to extinguish these natural fire starts, help prevent new human-caused fires from sparking by following all regulations currently in place: https://swofire.com/public-fire-restrictions/

For fire information anytime, visit our Facebook page, @ODFSouthwest or our website, www.swofire.com.