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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Jackson County courts seek justice for the mentally ill ... ODOT mower believed to have sparked blaze near Hugo ... Rogue Valley boat makers floating higher as economy improves ... Jackson County courts seek justice for the mentally ill ... ODOT mower believed to have sparked blaze near Hugo ... Rogue Valley boat makers floating higher as economy improves ... Residents watch, worry Fire on Roxy Ann was too close for comfort Residents on the flanks of Roxy Ann spent the last day of summer watching anxiously as firefighters battled a wind-fueled blaze that climbed perilously close to their homes. Comment By GREG STILES and PAUL FATTIG MailTribune.com By GREG STILES and PAUL FATTIG Posted Sep. 22, 2009 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 24, 2009 at 1:01 PM By GREG STILES and PAUL FATTIG Posted Sep. 22, 2009 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 24, 2009 at 1:01 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Medford fire chars 600 acres » Social News Residents on the flanks of Roxy Ann spent the last day of summer watching anxiously as firefighters battled a wind-fueled blaze that climbed perilously close to their homes. Near where the fire started Monday afternoon on the south flank, residents along Devonshire Place were asked to evacuate at 5:15 p.m. "We haven't directly seen the flames, but we could sense it was getting closer," said Leanne Wood, just before the command to evacuate came. "As long as the flag in the backyard is moving north we're OK. It's been kind of an unnerving day; everybody was on their roofs watching and keeping an eye on things." She said emergency service personnel told residents to be ready to go around 4 p.m. "We all have our cars loaded up and ready to go," Wood said. University of Oregon student Julianne Stevens was at her boyfriend's home on Manzanita Heights Drive in Roxy Ann Heights as smoke first started appearing from the south. "At first, everything was fine. We were primarily seeing white smoke," Stevens said. "Then the smoke started getting dark. Nobody panicked, we just started spraying things down. Then within the last hour (about 3:45 p.m.) it started getting really dark and hot. We started spraying down the roof with hoses and put the four dogs inside; the smoke was getting really thick." Stevens said there were about 11 people present when Dewey Wilson, the homeowner, decided it was time to gather up family pictures. "We've experienced lightning storms and all these different kinds of experiences up here, but this is so different," Stevens said. She said flames were within 150 yards and closing in on neighbor Robert Jensen's house about 100 yards downhill. "When the wind came up it was the height of panic and scary and blowing right at us," Stevens said. "When Mr. Wilson said 'Grab the family photos,' I knew this is real. Everyone pulled together. It's nice to see everyone pulling together for the same cause to save houses; we know what it means to those people." She said she passed emergency vehicles on the way down the hill, but wasn't paying much attention to what residents were doing. "To be honest, we weren't paying attention," Stevens said. "It was the most panicking, adrenaline-pumping situation I've ever been in." As smoke billowed over the ridge, Dry Creek Road resident Randy Struckmeier fired up three Rainbird sprinklers on his acre-plus parcel. "We've got all our valuables ready to go — we could be out of here in five minutes," he said, noting the fire was three to four miles distant just before 5 p.m. Monday. But an hour later the fire was half that distance away from their home, he reported. "We're watching it inch closer," he said. "The police have been by, told us we should be ready to leave. We've moved the car up and filled it with our prize possessions." Before the police arrived, he and his wife, Alice, had gathered their important documents and family photographs — all their children are away at college — and prepared for the worst. "In addition to the sprinklers, we have a 10,000-gallon pool we could pump out of if we need it," he said, adding that a neighbor has a large holding tank that can be used if harm comes their way. The neighbors are working together, he said, although adding it has been roughly a dozen years since the area was threatened by a wildfire. "We'll be ready if it comes," he said. Reach Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or [email protected]. Reach Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or [email protected]. By GREG STILES and PAUL FATTIG MailTribune.com By GREG STILES and PAUL FATTIG Posted Sep. 22, 2009 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 24, 2009 at 1:01 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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