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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 FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency services, Aug. 24 ... DeBoer chosen as Republican nominee for Senate District 3 ... Remote access, changing winds create challenges in fighting Cleveland Ridge fire ... Emergency services, Aug. 24 ... DeBoer chosen as Republican nominee for Senate District 3 ... Remote access, changing winds create challenges in fighting Cleveland Ridge fire ... FIRE Updated: Cleveland Ridge fire up to 180 acres; level 1 evacuations expected Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 22, 2016 at 5:42 PM Updated Aug 22, 2016 at 9:54 PM Posted Aug. 22, 2016 at 5:42 PM Updated Aug 22, 2016 at 9:54 PM » Social News Update, 7:40 p.m.: The Cleveland Ridge fire west of Shady Cove is now estimated to be 180 acres according to Oregon Department of Forestry's Brian Ballou. Authorities have not yet issued evacuation noticies, however Ballou says residents of Taylor Road, which parallels highway 227, have been notified. 6:55 p.m.: The Cleveland Ridge fire west of Shady Cove has grown to 75 acres, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Spokeswoman Melissa Cano said authorities are about to issue Level 1 evacuations, meaning nearby residents should be ready to leave if necessary. She said how many homes might be threatened was impossible to tell this evening because of the thick smoke blanketing the area. The steep terrain and high winds are making firefighting difficult, ODF officials said. Several structures are threatened in the remote areas off West Fork Trail Creek Road near Trail. ODF crews are asking that the public avoid the area because of heavy fire traffic. 6 p.m. A wildfire that sparked to life Monday afternoon was burning along the west fork of the Trail Creek Road west of Shady Cove. Called the Cleveland Ridge fire, the blaze is estimated at 35 acres as of 6 p.m. Monday and continuing to grow, Oregon Department of Forestry said. ODF responded to the blaze with an air tanker, three helicopters, several engines and three 10-man crews. ODF spokesperson Melissa Cano said the cause of the fire was under investigation. Hot, dry weather this past weekend may have contributed. "The conditions are right for fires to start," she said. Cano said there was no estimate of when crews might have containment. National Weather Service meteorologist Charles Smith there was no recent lightning on the west side of the Cascades, though the east side did see some lightning in the past week. Smith said conditions in the Rogue Valley border on what qualifies for a red flag warning, indicating "explosive growth" for fires. A relative humidity of 13 percent high temperatures and a wind speed of 10 knots have been conducive to the Cleveland Ridge growth. "It's going to grow pretty easily," Smith said. These conditions can facilitate spotting, where fire "jumps" to other locations when a strong wind carries the embers downwind. Brian Ballou, of the ODF Southwest district, said structures are threatened, and the Rogue Valley Structural Task Force was called to assist in controlling the blaze. The fire is about a mile and a half up the west fork of Trail Creek Road, Ballou said. "We're asking people to not go up the west fork of Trail Creek Road unless you live up there," he said, to keep the area free of traffic as crews tackle the fire. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 22, 2016 at 5:42 PM Updated Aug 22, 2016 at 9:54 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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