Thunderstorms Spark Numerous Small Fires in Jackson County

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. (Sept. 7, 2022) – Firefighters have spent most of Wednesday aggressively engaged on numerous fires across the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District’s protection area within the Medford Unit in Jackson County following early morning thunderstorms. The majority of lightning strikes landed on the east side of the county, although a few were recorded in the valley near Talent.

While 11 fires were reported throughout the morning, five were either duplicate reports or not smoke or fire. Two were on Forest Service land, which we responded with our federal partners to, affecting both the Klamath National Forest and the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest. The final four reports were found to be legitimate fires on our protection area, three affecting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and one on private:

• The Coon Creek Fire, located to the southeast of Lake Creek Reservoir on private land. This fire was caught at 1/10^th of an acre. It is 100% lined and mopped up.
• The Conde Creek Fire, located to the northwest of Howard Prairie Lake on BLM land. This fire was caught 1/100^th of an acre. It is 100% lined and mopped up.
• The Clarks Creek Fire, located to the southeast of Lost Creek Lake on BLM land. This fire was caught at 1/100^th of an acre. It is 100% lined and mopped up.
• The North Fork Clarks Creek Fire, located near to the north of the Clarks Creek Fire on BLM land. This fire was caught at 1/10^th of an acre. It is 100% lined and mopped up.

Several reconnaissance flights by our fixed wing air attack platform have been conducted across the areas affected by lightning; we’ll continue to monitor areas where lightning struck by air, ground and our extensive camera detection system. Additional thunderstorms remain in the forecast for the remainder of the day on Wednesday, with a red flag warning and heat advisories taking effect across areas of the district through the end of the week.

Firefighters throughout southern Oregon are dedicated to protecting our counties and aggressively attacking fires. ODF appreciates the support of our partner agencies and communities as we continue to be vigilant through the end of fire season. Fire information is always available at www.swofire.com or Facebook page @ODF Southwest Oregon District.