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More rec sites close as Rum Creek Fire doubles in size By Dave Smigelski Updated: Aug 28, 2022 10:21 AM A A A helicopter attack crew works to contain the Rum Creek Fire burning in the Lower Rogue River Canyon near Rainy Falls Thursday. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] The Rum Creek Fire doubled in size Saturday to 8,404 acres, spurring local officials to close more areas along the Rogue River in one of the most heavily used recreational corridors in Southern Oregon. The Bureau of Land Management and Josephine County closed all recreation sites along the Rogue from Hog Creek to Grave Creek, including Hog Creek County Park, Indian Mary Park and Campground, Ennis Riffle County Park and Almeda County Park and Campground. BLM recreation sites that closed include Hog Creek, Hellgate Overlook, Stratton Creek, Rainbow, Carpenter Island, Rocky Bar, Robert Dean, Chair, Rand, Smullin Visitor Center, Argo and Grave Creek. Additional public lands closures exist around the Rum Creek Fire, including the Rainie Falls Trail and the Lower Rogue River Trail. Boaters will not be able to put in or take out starting at the Hog Creek boat ramp downstream to Grave Creek. Robertson Bridge County Park is the farthest downstream recreational river takeout. As of Sunday morning, Bear Camp Road remained open, according to an update from the team fighting the fire. “The BLM doesn’t take river closures lightly, and we tried to keep the river open as long as possible,” said Bill Dean, Grants Pass field manager. “We apologize for the impacts to the rafting community and will reopen these recreation sites as soon as it is safe to do so.” Windy conditions pushed the Rum Creek Fire south Saturday, and firefighters worked through the night to protect the area between Rand and Galice, according to an update posted on Inciweb. In a post late Saturday, Rural Metro Fire in Josephine County said it had requested an additional 20 structural protection engine companies from across the state from the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal, and those crews arrived Saturday afternoon to relieve local crews. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown invoked the Oregon Conflagration Act Friday night to beef up state resources available to the fire teams battling the fast-growing blaze. “The fire has established itself in the Stratton Creek Drainage and upper Hog Creek this evening,” Rural Metro reported late Saturday. “The fire experienced explosive growth (Friday) after erratic winds pushed the fire off the mountain and down toward the neighborhoods of Almeda County Park, Rand and Galice,” Rural Metro reported. “It also jumped the river into steep, dry country with minimal roads. ... At one point fire conditions were too intense near Almeda Park and crews had to disengage.” Air quality in Medford was good Sunday morning, but smoke and haze were expected to push into the area later in the day. The Illinois Valley was very likely to see periods of unhealthy air quality Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service office in Medford reported. For more information about the Rum Creek Fire, see facebook.com/rumcreekfire2022 ; or https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8348/ To be added to the daily email list, please email [email protected] Reach Mail Tribune Editor-in-Chief David Smigelski at 541-776-4484 or [email protected].