Three Fires Started Monday

Elk Creek Fire update Oct. 12 Today crews continued to work on mop-up progress throughout the now-confirmed 19.5-acre fire located about 2 miles north of the Elk Creek Tunnel, in Elkton, OR. The originally estimated 8-acre fire has been successfully hiked and GPS’d to determine the exact acreage of the burned area, resulting in double what was originally estimated in the steep and narrow terrain. There has been NO new fire growth. The mop-up process will continue for several days and may create visual smoke in the area as hot spots are churned and extinguished. Rest assured; live flames have been contained. A rotation of day and night crews will continue for several more days and will follow with scheduled parameter checks. This will be the final public update shared for this fire. *** Elk Creek Fire update Oct. 11 Crews worked aggressively throughout the night, completing about 60% of dozer and hand-dug control lines in steep terrain. Day shift rotated in and completed trailing the left flank and laying hose around the entire parameter of the fire. Live flames have been knocked down and growth has been contained to an estimated 8 acres. The afternoon shift began to mop up and progress will continue into the night. Engines, hand crews, 2 tenders, a dozer, an excavator, and a fixed-wing air attack will report back to the fire tomorrow morning and mop-up progress will continue for several days to come. Smoke may be visible in the area until all hotspots are contained. We would like to thank CFPA, neighboring ODF districts, contract crews and industrial resources for their quick response and assistance with all aspects of fire suppression response in our district. We would not be able to accomplish aggressive initial attacks without everyone’s contribution. A final report with mop-up progress and exact acreage size will be shared tomorrow. For more information on restrictions, please visit www.dfpa.net *** From Douglas Forest Protective Association - McGinnis Fire: In the early morning of Monday, October 10, 2022, at approximately 4:45 am, crews from Azalea Rural Fire Protection District and Douglas Forest Protective Association (DFPA) responded to a ¼ of an acre brush fire located on Upper Cow Creek Road, near the Galesville Reservoir in Azalea, OR. Responding firefighters had the fire contained by 1 pm. Cause is currently under investigation. Brown Street Fire: At approximately 3:30 pm, crews from Glendale Rural Fire Protection District and DFPA responded to a ¼ of an acre grass fire located on Brown Road in Glendale, OR. Fire was contained and the area was cleared by 5 pm. Cause is currently under investigation. Elk Creek Fire (Tom Folley Fire): At approximately 4:00 pm, crews from DFPA responded to a smoke column reported near Tom Folley Road, in Elkton, OR. An estimated 2 – 3-acre wildland fire was found upon the crew's arrival. The initial attack was immediately initiated and additional resources from Coos Forest Protective Association (CFPA) and the Oregon Department of Forestry- Western Lane District were requested. An aggressive initial attack with several engines, ground crews, fixed-wing air attack and a dozer are currently active, with minimal fire growth. The cause is currently under investigation. Fire suppression will continue through the night with preemptive crews assigned for tomorrow morning. There are no homes or structures threatened by this fire. Even though the summer season is over, and temperatures have cooled down, fire season is very much still active, and fuels are dry. Public and Industrial restrictions are currently in place throughout the Douglas District to help alleviate fire accidents from happening. Please continue to use precaution, utilize best fire prevention practices, and follow restrictions that are in place. *** Photo from DFPA