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Gold Canyon fire started fast Wednesday Aug 31, 2016 at 4:55 PM Aug 31, 2016 at 5:53 PM By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier SELMA — Firefighters at the Gold Canyon fire line Wednesday morning were working in from the edges on what had been a fast-moving wildland blaze Tuesday. The fire forced emergency evacuations for the second time in the Selma area this month and burned on both sides of the Redwood Highway. About 200 firefighters remained at the scene Wednesday, some having worked through the night. About 61 acres burned, and at one point as many as 200 homes were considered threatened. The cause is under investigation, but the fire began near a roadside. Enough smoke hung in the air Wednesday morning to keep firefighting aircraft on the ground. "I'm driving through the fire now," Melissa Cano, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry, said at about 9 a.m. "It's pretty peaceful. Everyone is kind of mopping up, looking for hot spots. So far, so good." Tuesday, just before 5 p.m., the scene wasn't peaceful at all. From near Gold Canyon Drive and the Redwood Highway, about three miles south of Selma, fire raced uphill, with homes on the other side of a ridge. Timber, brush and tall grass fed flames. "It's a prime area to burn," Cano said. Fire crews from the region rushed to the area, and homes were evacuated on Wild Park Lane and Terrell Way. Aircraft diverted from other fires in the region made drops of water and chemical fire retardant at the Gold Canyon fire. "Pretty immediately, once there was a visible column, we ordered aircraft," Cano said. "It took time. Once homes were in danger, our priority went up." Once helicopters and tankers arrived, they were an integral part of halting the spread of the fire, Cano said. Fire remained a distance from houses, however, apparently over a ridge, she said. Authorities closed the Redwood Highway for a few hours Tuesday, but it was open Wednesday morning. Cano asked drivers to watch the road and look out for the many fire vehicles that were still at the scene. During the early stages of the fast-moving fire, a rollover wreck was reported on Deer Creek Road. That was the same area where another scary wildfire burned 50 acres and destroyed three homes Aug. 12. A homeless man who built a campfire was to blame in that fire, authorities said. No homes were destroyed in Tuesday's blaze. Medics aided a firefighter who was stung multiple times by bees and another firefighter who suffered heat exhaustion, she said. "Everyone is doing OK," she added. Evacuation went well, she said. "As well as they could when you're dealing with something that's moving that quickly," she elaborated. "A few felt they didn't have time to gather anything even though we told them they did have ample time to grab a couple of things. We were so glad they were so willing to cooperate." Josephine County Sheriff's Office deputies and fire crews went door to door, and a telephone alert system was used. More information about the fire is available online, at www.swofire.com and on Facebook pages for ODF Southwest Oregon District and the Illinois Valley Fire District. Reach the fire district office by calling 541-592-2225.