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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 Home News Latest Stories Updated: Numerous fires burning in Siskiyou County Updated: Oregon Gulch fire tops 21,000 acres 1,000-acre fire scorching Trinity Alps Wilderness Crater Lake fires still burning Suspicious fire guts apartment complex overnight Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Updated: Numerous fires burning in Siskiyou County 1,000-acre fire scorching Trinity Alps Wilderness Suspicious fire guts apartment complex overnight Medford police say man was carrying a half-pound of meth Another Medford arson suspect caught, charged Politics and Elections Medford council veterans plan exit Medical marijuana patients run for council seat Former colleagues laud Atiyeh's 'practical' leadership Bates-Dotterrer race called critical to Senate control Richardson challenges Kitzhaber during debate Education Migrant student numbers soar $21 million Science Building upgrades begin at SOU Eagle Point district mulls fate of Trail school SOU Provost James Klein plans to retire Poverty standard hurts Central Point schools State news Nation - World Obituaries Walter Herman Hoffbuhr Death Notices Don Mallaghan Ethel Iris McCoy Margaret Elizabeth Powell Weather Photo Galleries Videos Sports Latest Stories Giants' Cain needs elbow surgery to remove bone chips George suffers gruesome leg injury in hoops exhibition Kansas City's Guthrie shuts down Athletics Allred climbs into tie for 11th at Barracuda LOCAL REPORT Varsity 541 College Sports Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Mannion, Beavers look to close the gap Riley's coaching longevity bucks the trend in Pac-12 His own Gary Payton Beavers hope new diet plans give them bite Pro Sports Judge OKs record-setting $2B sale of Clippers Recovered from illness, Serena ready for return Darvish, Rangers drop Yanks Even after payday, Seattle's Sherman hungry as ever Fists flying at Philly practices Community Sports LOCAL REPORT Morgan, Rogues romp past Elks Mustangs clinch spot in state title game North Medford Mavericks remain perfect LOCAL REPORT Business Latest Stories Blog: Part 2: How to Stay Cool in 100 Degree Weather Avista requests rate hike of 9.7% Blog: Study finds Oregon's exports slow to recover Contractor sweep nets 34 violations in S. 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Dining India Palace Taco Riendo Uber Herbal Coquina Restaurant Home State BBQ Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living NEWS NOW UPDATED: Lightning strikes hit Southern Oregon hard MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 31, 2014 @ 8:15 am Updated Jul 31, 2014 at 9:00 AM Posted Jul. 31, 2014 @ 8:15 am Updated Jul 31, 2014 at 9:00 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Thunderstorms shot out between 2,000 and 2,500 lightning strikes across Southern Oregon Wednesday afternoon and night, with about 850 touching down in Jackson County. The National Weather Service reported more are likely on the way today, and have issued the third red flag warning in a row for this week. The warning, issued because of the lightning, dry terrain, and a 102-degree predicted high temperature, will be in effect from 2 to 11 p.m. today. It covers the Southern Oregon Cascades, Siskiyou Mountains, eastern Rogue Valley, Umpqua National Forest, and Fremont-Winema National Forest. Weather officials said there's also a chance of scattered rain showers today. Starting at 10 a.m., there is a 20 percent chance of precipitation across Jackson County. That chance increases to about 40 percent by the afternoon hours. The Oregon Department of Forestry reported the lightning activity kickstarted 12 new fires around Jackson and Josephine counties. Containment lines have been drawn around all reported fires. "It doesn't look like anything's running away, so that's the best news," said ODF spokesman Brian Ballou. The largest, reported 15 miles north of Gold Hill at Salt Creek, has an estimated size between 80 and 100 acres. Ballou said fire crews had difficulty accessing that blaze, needing to re-open old, overgrown logging roads with bulldozers. Smoke is still visible from Medford. "They've still got a lot of work to be done," Ballou said. Another fire near Beaver Creek has grown to five acres, and blazes near Buck Rock and Willie Rock are up to four. The other nine fires have not exceeded half an acre in size. Those fires were reported at Kenyon Ridge, Slick Rock Cabin, Point Mountain, Flat Creek, East Evans Creek, Horn Gulch and Hells Peak. Numerous lightning-sparked fires have been reported across the region the last two days, including 34 that had flared up in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Wednesday. Of that number, 28 were reported in the High Cascades Ranger District, according to U.S. Forest Service spokesman Paul Galloway. The largest of those fires is the Camp Creek Fire, located near the Rustler Lookout east of Lost Creek Lake, reported to be about 10 to 15 acres in size. Engines, hand crews and a helicopter are beating back the flames. The remaining fires are less than an acre in size. The additional six fires reported in the Siskiyou Mountains District are near or within the Ashland watershed. All were less than an acre in size. Firefighters continue to perform mop-up work at the Reeves Creek Fire southwest of Grants Pass, which had a full containment line drawn around it Wednesday but was only considered 50 percent contained because of the looming storms. Its acreage has been scaled back from 232 acres to 204. Crews have been able to move 300 feet into the interior during mop-up work, Ballou said. "The fire looks like it's very stable," he said. The 100-acre Launch Fire, burning at Four Mile Lake, also has a full containment line around the fire. The blaze has been determined to be human-caused, according to the Incident Information System website. The 25-acre lightning-sparked Pumice Flat Fire, located at Crater Lake National Park's southern boundary, was considered 75 percent contained Wednesday afternoon. — Ryan Pfeil MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 31, 2014 @ 8:15 am Updated Jul 31, 2014 at 9:00 AM » 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. 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