Upper Applegate fire caused by mowing dry grass, investigators say – Ashland News

Fire 55% contained, spanning 896 acres Thursday morning, ODF says

Rogue Valley Times Staff Report

Investigators say the cause of the Upper Applegate Fire was a person mowing dry grass, according to an update released Wednesday evening by the Forestry Department's Southwest Oregon District. 'Oregon.

The fire started Thursday, June 20, south of Ruch and east of the Applegate River, about 19 miles west of Ashland.

“Mowing dead or dried grass with motorized equipment” is prohibited between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., in accordance with the current fire danger level restrictions — moderate (blue) — in the ODF’s Southwest Oregon District, the agency said.

“This restriction does not apply to mowing green lawns or equipment used for commercial growing and harvesting of agricultural crops,” the agency noted. “With equipment use being the second leading cause of human-caused fires in Oregon, many may find it surprising that a lawn mower would be included in this category.”

The ODF urged people to “regularly check local fire restrictions during the fire season to ensure you are not potentially bringing a fire risk to the landscape.”

In Upper Applegate, the agency said it “will continue to investigate the fire and may potentially attempt to recover firefighting costs.”

As of Thursday morning, crews had contained 55% of the fire, which remained at 896 acres, according to the latest update.

Crews have completed 10% of hot spot mop-up operations, according to the update. Overnight, they focused their mop-up efforts on the south end of the fire and continue to reinforce containment lines, according to the update.

Evacuation levels are also being carried over from Wednesday: JAC-434, along Upper Applegate Road in the Ruch and Applegate areas, remains at Level 1 “Be Prepared,” while JAC-436, an area east of the fire that includes the ghost mining town of Buncom, remains at Level 2 “Be Prepared.”

People in a Level 1 “Be Prepared” evacuation zone are encouraged to plan their evacuation and act quickly if they are disabled or may need more time. Level 2 “Be Prepared” means there is significant danger and they may need to evacuate at any time.

Firefighters are working in risky conditions, the ODF said.

“On the northeast side of the fire, hazardous trees, or snags, remain a difficult and dangerous challenge to navigate. Between the risk of falling trees and the steep terrain, firefighters continue to work as safely as possible.

“On Tuesday, a firefighter suffered a broken leg while working on a steep slope,” Thursday’s update continued. “The firefighter was transported by his crew before being picked up by Rogue Rescue and transported to a local hospital.

“The hazards associated with this incident increase the risk of injury, and safety is a top priority as work continues.”

During the Jackson County Board of Commissioners work session Thursday, Commissioner Colleen Roberts said she attended the Upper Applegate Fire community meeting Tuesday. She reported that in addition to the broken leg, there had been some heat-related illnesses on the fire lines.

County Administrator Danny Jordan said he has been in contact with county emergency manager Holly Powers about evacuation levels and has received regular updates on burn operations. Partly because of heat stress limitations, it has been difficult to prepare some areas.

“They do evaluations night after night,” Jordan said during the work session.

He also said the Upper Applegate fire was the county's first use of its zoned evacuation system. Jordan discussed the challenges emergency management faces with Jackson County's old evacuation system. He said many people signed up years ago to receive text message alerts for every fire, but now call the county without knowing exactly why they are receiving notifications.

The fire also marks the first time emergency management has used a new voice-to-text system that creates easier-to-understand phone alerts.

As of Thursday, the number of personnel assigned to the fire still exceeded 400, the ODF said. Resources included “14 crews of 20 personnel, eight engines, four bulldozers, eight water tenders, two chippers, 10 medical personnel and numerous overheads,” with additional air resources such as helicopters and air tankers available as needed, the update said.

For the latest updates, visit protect.genasys.com.

The fire broke out late in the afternoon of June 20 and is burning on private lands, those of the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service, the ODF said.

This story first appeared in the The Rogue Valley Times.

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