Firefighters aggressively attacked the Wards Creek fire east of the town of Rogue River on Wednesday. [Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Forestry]
Firefighter treated for heat-related illness
A 20-person crew and two helicopters aggressively attacked a 5-acre fire east of the Rogue River Wednesday, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported.
The fire was about 40 percent contained as of 10:55 a.m. Wednesday, ODF reported.
Located in the hills above the 3100 block of Wards Creek Road, the Wards Creek Fire was started by lightning that struck a tree. It was reported Tuesday night and multiple fire agencies battled the fire overnight. However, extremely steep terrain and dense brush slowed progress overnight, ODF said.
Temperatures of around 99 degrees in the area took their toll on at least one firefighter Wednesday afternoon.
“We had a firefighter suffering from a heat-related illness on the line. We stopped and got medical help,” ODF spokeswoman Natalie Weber said Wednesday afternoon.
The firefighter received medical attention at a temporary helicopter base where helicopters fighting the Wards Creek fire are taking off and landing, he said.
“We certainly do what we can to protect our firefighters,” Weber said, but noted that exposure to heat and smoke is one of the hazards of the job.
While fighting fires, firefighters are not covered by new Oregon laws that took effect this year to help protect workers from excessive heat and smoke.
ODF did not issue an evacuation notice Wednesday because of the fire.
Weber said Wednesday afternoon that so far no structures are threatened by the fire.
In the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, firefighters continued to search for new fires and attacks began Wednesday.
In the High Cascades Ranger District, firefighters contained the Meadow, Maude, Ethel, Outn and Bunchgrass fires and will continue to work to contain two additional fires.
While leaving the Sugar Fire, Crew 62 saw new smoke in the area and was walking to attack it. The fires are scattered over a wide area from near Crater Lake National Park in the south to near Fish Lake, officials said.
Wednesday’s helicopter operations included pulling firefighters from remote fires that have been successfully contained and returning them to the staging area for rapid reassignment to new fires, officials said.
An aerial reconnaissance flight was completed Tuesday night over areas affected by Tuesday’s lightning strikes in the Siskiyou Ranger District, Gold Beach Ranger District and Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Heavy rain accompanied the lightning, giving firefighters a little more time to locate and attack any new fires. However, the rain does not eliminate the threat of new fires. Sometimes a week or more can pass between ignition and detection of residual lightning fires, officials said.
ODF’s Southwest Oregon Detection Center in Central Point is fully staffed and workers were looking for signs of fire and smoke using a camera system on top of the mountain, ODF reported.
The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest continued to assist with the Clover Fire in the Fremont-Winema National Forest and the Alex Fire in the Klamath National Forest.
Fire danger is rated extreme on Forest Service and ODF protected lands in southern Oregon.
“Despite the rain received in some areas, fuels will dry out quickly in the heat and wind,” the Forest Service said in a news release.
