Fire crews in Jackson and Josephine counties are continuing to battle a surge of wildfires ignited by a thunderstorm system that moved through Southwest Oregon on Monday night. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has confirmed at least 72 separate fires on ODF-protected lands across both counties, all resulting from lightning strikes. Firefighters have been engaged in an aggressive suppression effort since the storms began, working with limited personnel and resources to keep the fires as small and contained as possible.
As of this morning, the ODF Southwest Oregon District is receiving support from ODF Complex Incident Management Team 3, which will take over a portion of the fires to allow local crews to concentrate on a smaller number of ongoing incidents and remain available for any new fire reports. The transfer of command is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. today.
Among the largest active fires is the Neil Creek Road Fire, located west of Interstate 5 near mile marker 10, south of Ashland. The fire is currently estimated at 250 acres. Overnight, strong winds caused spot fires to spread, and crews continued working to establish and reinforce containment lines. The fire prompted a lane closure on southbound I-5 between mileposts 8.5 and 10.5, which remains in effect. Jackson County Emergency Management has issued Level 2 “Be Set” evacuation notices for several nearby zones.
The Pickett Mountain Fire, which began on July 7, 2025, near Grants Pass, sparked by lightning and has since shown no signs of significant growth. There have been no evacuation orders or major containment concerns reported, suggesting that the fire is either fully contained or under effective control.
The Deming Gulch Fire, northeast of Buncom, is the second-largest incident at an estimated 200 acres. Firefighters, engines, bulldozers, and hand crews have remained engaged throughout the night. Six 20-person crews are assigned to the incident, along with aerial support as needed. At this time, no evacuation orders are in effect for this fire.
The Heppsie Mountain Fire, south of Highway 140, remains a concern due to its location on steep terrain and the presence of falling trees. The fire is 50 percent lined and considered 30 percent contained, holding at approximately 40 acres. High winds threatened the containment lines overnight, but fire crews successfully kept the blaze within its current footprint. Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation notices have been issued for areas near Heppsie Mountain Road and adjacent zones.
Just south of the Heppsie Mountain Fire lies the Poole Hill Fire, which is estimated between 12 and 15 acres. Firefighters have held 80 percent of the containment line against high winds and continue working toward full perimeter control. Due to proximity, the same evacuation advisories issued for Heppsie Mountain also apply to this fire.
In a remote area south of Applegate, the Jim Me Peak Fire has grown to 40 acres and merged with the nearby Ladybug Gulch Fire, originally reported at 4.5 acres. Both fires were caused by lightning and are now being treated as a single incident. Firefighters have launched a concentrated effort to establish containment lines, using multiple 20-person crews, engines, and bulldozers.
To the southeast, the Palmer Peak Fire is estimated at 90 acres. Fire crews, including ground teams and aircraft, remain actively engaged in suppression efforts.
In total, 435 firefighting personnel are assigned to the day shift across the district today. While additional resources are being requested, state and national fire activity has limited availability. Despite these constraints, local and federal firefighting teams have already extinguished 11 fires, including the Pompadour Fire east of Ashland, which reached 38 acres before being brought under control.
With high fire danger conditions continuing in Southwest Oregon, ODF is urging the public to follow all fire prevention regulations. As the risk of new lightning and human-caused fires remains high, fire officials are emphasizing the importance of public cooperation to help reduce the strain on limited firefighting resources.
For updated fire information, evacuation alerts, and public fire restrictions, residents are encouraged to visit swofire.com or follow ODF Southwest on social media.