100% of the fire is lined, cause remains under investigation

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news

An over-40-acre fire that started Thursday night on Dead Indian Memorial Road is past containment and into mop up despite adverse weather conditions, according to a Friday evening release on the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Facebook page. 

Mop up is estimated at 50% with 100% of the fire lined. Firefighters were able to extinguish hotspots — or available fuel and hot coals — up to 250 feet into the fire’s perimeter, according to the release. 

Little to no smoke has been detected from the fire Friday afternoon but firefighters will continue to monitor the area and additional resources are assigned to continue monitoring and mop up through Saturday, according to the release. 

The fire was first reported about 10:15 p.m. Thursday. The cause remains under investigation. 

Dead Indian Memorial Road has been partially open throughout Friday and is expected to be fully open by evening. The public is asked to travel through the area with caution as firefighters are still working in the area, sometimes close to the road. 

As of Friday night 78 personnel were assigned to continue mop up. Personnel and resources included three 20-person crews, three engines, two water tenders and overhead staff. A red flag warning for fire weather remained in effect until 8 p.m. Friday evening. The Southwest Oregon district of ODF is now in high fire danger and high temperatures are expected to continue through the weekend. The public is advised to exercise caution in any activities that could produce sparks, according to the release. 

The status of the fire precludes further updates unless the situation changes for the worse, according to the release. Information on current regulations and wildfire prevention is available on the ODF website.  

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].