Fire in Medford Oregon – Multiple Blazes Hit Jackson County
The wildfire situation near Medford, Oregon, has escalated overnight. What began Friday afternoon as a small grass fire has become a major incident straining Jackson County’s fire resources.
Fire Growth
The blaze, now officially named the East Evans Creek Road Fire, was first reported as a 10- to 15-acre grass fire shortly after 3 p.m. Friday, July 10. Growth was rapid: by late evening, the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest District reported the fire had reached an estimated 1,550 acres, well above earlier estimates of 700 to 1,000 acres. ODF said 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.
Firefighters caught two early spot fires, but a third spot fire ignited and rapidly grew out of control, exacerbated by hot, dry conditions. The fire is located about 26 miles northeast of Medford and has drawn the response of an Oregon Department of Forestry incident management team — the first for a wildfire this year. It is also burning into the footprint of the earlier East Evans Fire, where steep terrain and additional spot fires have complicated suppression efforts.
Evacuations and Shelter
Evacuation orders have expanded through the evening as the fire grew. A shelter for affected residents opened at Hanby Middle School in Gold Hill, at 806 6th Ave. Multiple zones remain under Level 1, 2, and 3 notices, with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office continuing to update evacuation levels as conditions change. As of the most recent update, the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest District had not reported any structures lost in the fire.