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Fire season ends here Wednesday By Vickie Aldous Updated: Oct 25, 2022 03:08 PM A A 3 View all photos A firefighter puts out hot spots on the Rum Creek Fire. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Fire season is ending Wednesday in the Rogue Valley after rain brought an end to unseasonably hot, dry weather this fall. The Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District declared fire season will end at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday on 1.8 million acres of ODF-protected land in Jackson and Josephine counties. This year’s fire season stretched 147 days from June 1 through Oct. 25, ODF said. “We’ve seen longer seasons that have hung on into late October and November before, but it’s been unseasonably dry this month,” Southwest Oregon District Forester Tyler McCarty said in a news advisory. “Southern Oregon is very fire-prone, but the heightened risk has passed at this point with the amount of rain we’ve received this week.” Last year marked the longest recorded fire season for ODF’s Southwest Oregon District. The 2021 fire season started May 12 and went through Oct. 20. ODF responded to 278 fires that burned 273 acres that season. This fire season was more destructive, in large part due to the Rum Creek Fire that burned west of Merlin and threatened Galice, Merlin and Grants Pass. There were 240 fires across ODF’s Southwest Oregon district that burned about 21,703 acres this fire season. Lightning caused 72 fires, ODF said. ODF responded to 168 human-caused fires, including debris burns that got out of control and fires sparked by equipment. Some fires remain under investigation and could eventually be proven as arson in court, said ODF Southwest Oregon District spokeswoman Natalie Weber. There were at least 18 fires in the Prospect area on ODF-protected and U.S. Forest Service land that may have been arson. No arrests have been made so far, Weber said. Of the 21,703 acres that burned on ODF-protected land this fire season, the Rum Creek Fire alone burned 21,347 acres, destroyed two homes and six other buildings and killed contract firefighter Logan Taylor, who was struck by a falling tree during initial attack efforts. Hundreds of firefighters, police and other community members attended a memorial service held in Medford for Taylor. “Logan paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect Southern Oregon, and we’re so humbled and appreciative of how the community joined us in honoring him and his service,” McCarty said. “We’ve been fortunate on the Southwest Oregon District to not lose many firefighters, and Logan’s passing has touched everyone in our firefighting community. Our thoughts and prayers are still with his family and friends every day.” Firefighter Logan Taylor was killed while battling the Rum Creek Fire. The Rum Creek Fire was among more than 50 fires started by a spate of lightning strikes. Sparked Aug. 17, the fire was taken over Aug. 21 by the multiagency Northwest Incident Management Team 13. Near the end of August, gusting winds pushed the fire from under 1,000 acres to more than 8,400, and ODF Incident Management Team 1 and an Oregon State Fire Marshal Incident Management Team were ordered to work in unified command with Northwest Incident Management Team 13, ODF said. All of Galice was evacuated, as well as surrounding rural residences, and portions of the Rogue River and recreational areas were closed as firefighters worked to create containment lines around the fire, ODF said. Firefighter Micah Mizey of Grants Pass works to lay hose on the Rum Creek Fire west of Merlin. [Jamie Lusch/Mail Tribune] Supplementing the efforts of wildland firefighters, fire crews from structural departments across Oregon came to safeguard homes, reduce fuels and set up sprinkler systems. By Sept.16, all evacuations had been lifted by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office and Josephine County Emergency Management. All teams demobilized by late September when the fire was declared 90% contained Sept. 23, ODF said. The second-largest fire on the ODF Southwest Oregon District was the 78-acre Ladybug Fire, followed by the 73-acre Keeler Fire, ODF said. Despite challenges from dry fuels, hot temperatures and windy conditions throughout the season, ODF firefighters kept 96.6% of fires at 10 acres or less within Jackson and Josephine counties, just shy of ODF’s protection goal of 98%, the agency said. ODF said the end of fire season removes fire prevention regulations on equipment use and the use of fire for debris burning. This applies to public and industrial operations on forestlands. However, industrial slash burning is still prohibited. Many structural fire agencies require permits for residential debris burning. Check with your local fire department to obtain any necessary permits before burning and ensure it’s a burn day designated by the county in which you reside, ODF advised. The Jackson County Burn Line number is 541-776-7007. The Josephine County Burn Line number is 541-476-9663. Although the official fire season is ending, ODF urged people to remain cautious. Never leave a burn pile unattended and be careful when using machinery that could cause a spark, ODF said. “Please be aware that fires can still spread in fall and winter conditions. This region is extremely prone to wildfire, and for that reason, fire knows no season,” ODF said. For more fire prevention tips, visit the district’s website at swofire.com or see its Facebook page . Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.