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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW SOU student raising funds to help India orphanage by documenting it ... Ashland monitor reads 'unhealthy' ... Police Reports ... SOU student raising funds to help India orphanage by documenting it ... Ashland monitor reads 'unhealthy' ... Police Reports ... DOUGLAS COUNTY Stouts fire still growing, but in a good way Smoke expected to stay in region for at least a few more days Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 4, 2015 at 11:43 AM Updated Aug 4, 2015 at 7:41 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 4, 2015 at 11:43 AM Updated Aug 4, 2015 at 7:41 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Ashland monitor reads 'unhealthy' • Smoke cancels Ashland City Band concert, closes pool • Air monitoring station will be set up in Ashland » Social News The Stouts fire in southern Douglas County will continue to burn for the next several days, but officials are hopeful it will be for all the right reasons. That's because crews have continued to take advantage of a slight dip in temperatures, bolstering fire lines and completing successful burnout operations on at least two miles of lines overnight. As of Tuesday, the fire had torched 17,166 acres, according to fire public information officer Dan Wells. Crews now have it about 10 percent contained and are continuing to make progress with burnout operations on the blaze's southern and eastern flanks.  "They're pretty optimistic," Wells said.  The fire, which remains the largest active wildland blaze in the state, is about 16 miles east of Canyonville. It exploded to an initial 6,000-acre inferno over the course of a few hours Thursday and continued to grow over the weekend. It's grown about 2,000 acres in the past 24 hours.  There are 1,272 personnel still fighting the fire, assisted by several water-dropping helicopters, including two HH-60M Blackhawks from the U.S. National Guard. Another CH-47 Chinook helicopter is set to arrive Wednesday.  There have been no reported injuries or reports of destroyed structures to date. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said evacuation notices remain in effect for 264 homes. The department reported on its Facebook page that level 2 evacuation notices (be set to leave at a moment's notice) remain in effect for residents of Upper Cow Creek Road on the fire's south side, for Ferguson, Stouts Creek and Conley Lane on the north side, and the Drew Valley along the Tiller-Trail Highway between mileposts 28 and 39 on the east side. A level 1 notice (be ready for a potential evacuation) remains in effect for three homes along the Tiller-Trail Highway in Jackson County and the Milo Academy area in Douglas County.  Crews also continue to make progress on Douglas County's Cable Crossing wildfire, just east of Glide off Highway 138. The Oregon Department of Forestry reported crews on that fire have moved into the mop-up phase as the final bit of burnouts along the fire lines wrap up. As of Tuesday, the fire had burned through about 1,750 acres and was 30 percent contained.  The Oregon Department of Forestry also has been hard at work snuffing new lightning-sparked fires in northeast Josephine County. Agency officials reported on their blog, www.swofire.com , that lightning touched off two fires in the Kelsey Creek drainage north of Rogue River Sunday night. The 7-acre East Kelsey fire has a line drawn around it, and mop-up operations had begun Monday evening. The Trappers Camp fire, also 7 acres, was 60 percent lined Monday.  Another lightning-sparked fire, called the Crescent fire, had grown to 43 acres on Crater Lake National Park lands by Monday night. Federal wildland crews are working to contain it and eight other lightning starts scattered throughout the park.  The fire activity has covered parts of the Rogue Valley in a view-smothering haze the last several days, though the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's Air Quality Index for Tuesday morning showed some improvement.  By Tuesday evening, Medford's 24-hour average air quality was rated as "unsafe for sensitive groups," while Shady Cove's rated "unhealthy," though there had been hourly come-and-go improvements through the day. It's the best Shady Cove has been in several days, after being stuck in the "hazardous" category for much of the weekend. Carolee Enriquez, of Rapid Pleasure Rafting, has said the Air Quality Index  smoke hasn't been that bad until the late afternoon hours. "We are not bad up here," she said. "We are good here until about 3 o' clock. Our day time has been fine. A little smoky, but not so bad." Other Shady Cove residents have been experiencing the haze differently. "It's really socked in here," Rogue River RV Park receptionist  Annie Acrey said in a Grants Pass Daily Courier report . "This week's not going to be very busy." Meanwhile, the Applegate, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls and Cave Junction areas were at "moderate" for the same 24-hour average Tuesday evening.  National Weather Service meteorologists say the ashy haze is forecast to stay in place to at least some degree for the next several days. Smoke from wildfires in Northern California is also expected to continue to add to the murky air at higher altitudes.  "A s the fire’s continuing, we’re expecting the smoke to kind of linger in our area,” meteorologist Brad Schaaf said.  High temperatures will be a bit cooler, with forecast highs in the upper 80s to low 90s in Medford through Saturday, Schaaf added.  Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 4, 2015 at 11:43 AM Updated Aug 4, 2015 at 7:41 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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