 |
| The Ramsey Canyon Fire is burning in steep terrain near Sams Valley in Jackson County. |
The Ramsey Canyon Fire near Sams Valley in Jackson County started just after noon on Wednesday and grew to 800 acres, drawing an ODF Type 1 Incident Management Team to fight the fire.
“Our initial attack was strong, but the high winds and fuel conditions overtook our initial attack efforts,” ODF Fire Protection Chief Doug Grafe said, highlighting the resources committed immediately to the fire. This includes three Type 2 medium helicopters and 2 Type 1 heavy helicopters, structure and wildland engines, local landowner resources, contract crews, and U.S. Forest Service crews.
ODF IMT 2 assumes command today alongside the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office. This is IMT 2’s fourth deployment this year. A Facebook page has been established to provide the latest information.
Overnight, firefighters were able to complete a combination of dozer and hand lines around roughly 30 percent of the Ramsey Canyon Fire’s perimeter. Spot fires continued to be an issue overnight due to the dense landscape and steep terrain.
Approximately 211 structures are reported threatened, but none damaged so far. Containment is at 15 percent.
Structural task forces stayed out all night protecting homes and making assessments for any potential changes in evacuation levels. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office will remain the source for accurate and timely notification releases.
Today’s weather forecast includes a chance of gusty winds similar to yesterday evening. Ridgetops and canyons can reach up to 20-25 mph if conditions come to fruition. If fire activity allows, officials hope to get a more accurate size of the fire mapped via ground GPS tools.
A remote helibase is set up and will be utilized. Please know that aircraft can only fly when visibility is safe enough to do so.