Crews from the Douglas Forest Protective Association responded to the following fires over the weekend:
Highway 138 West Fire: A structure fire located five miles northwest of Sutherlin spread to the surrounding vegetation around 10:30 Saturday morning. Crews from DFPA worked to suppress the wildland portion of the Highway 138 West Fire while firefighters from Sutherlin Fire Department, Oakland Rural Fire Department, and Fair Oak Rural Fire Department worked to suppress the structure fire. The Highway 138 West Fire burned 1/10th acre of wildland fuels and the structure was fully consumed.
Sam Radford Fire: A downed power line sparked a natural cover fire Saturday evening, located eight miles northeast of Tiller near the 10,000 block of South Umpqua Road. Crews from DFPA and Tiller Rural Fire Department responded to the fire shortly after 9:30 PM and located the fire between Sam’s Creek and Radford Creek. The fire was burning in an area with sparse forest fuels due to a fire that burned in the area last summer. The Sam Radford Fire burned a quarter acre before the fire was suppressed. Crews remained on scene of the fire for several hours, mopping up hot spots and securing control lines.
Reston Road Fire: Firefighters from DFPA, Tenmile Rural Fire Department and Winston – Dillard Fire Department responded to a natural cover fire Sunday afternoon, located nine miles west of Winston near the 3,000 block of Reston Road. Crews arrived on scene of the Reston Road Fire around 1:30 PM and reported a fire spreading up a hillside where fuels reduction work had been completed by DFPA crews three years prior. An aggressive initial attack by firefighters using aviation and ground resources stopped the forward spread of the Reston Road Fire at a quarter acre of wildland fuels about 10 minutes after crews arrived on scene.
Firefighters credited the fuels reduction project for the quick stop of the Reston Road Fire. This particular fuels reduction treatment focused on removing the underbrush and young saplings in the treatment area. The large dominate trees were also pruned six to ten feet off the ground. In theory, the removal of underbrush and young saplings, in addition to pruning the large leave trees, reduces the intensity of potential wildfires by keeping the fire on the ground and out of the tree canopy, making the fire easier to suppress.
Crews remained on scene of the Reston Road Fire until 5:00 PM, mopping up hot spots and securing control lines. A preliminary fire investigation indicated that the cause of the Reston Road Fire was power line related.
Eakin Road Fire: Crews from DFPA and Azalea Rural Fire Department responded to a grass fire Sunday evening located nine miles northeast of Glendale near the 1,000 block of Eakin Road. Upon arrival, firefighters found a 1/10th acre grass fire that the landowner had extinguished. Crews remained on scene of the Eakin Road Fire until 7:00 PM, mopping up hot spots and securing control lines. The Eakin Road Fire was caused by a tree into the power lines.
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