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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 Medford council considers options for finding a new city manager ... Grants Pass will ask voters to ban all pot commerce ... Robber who wore boxers on his head gets prison ... Medford council considers options for finding a new city manager ... Grants Pass will ask voters to ban all pot commerce ... Robber who wore boxers on his head gets prison ... PUBLIC SAFETY Half-acre Applegate grass fire followed explosion Crews had to deal with a second fire about 12 miles away shortly after Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Aug. 2, 2016 at 1:22 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Aug. 2, 2016 at 1:22 PM » Social News An electrical arc between wires on a utility pole is believed to have been the cause of a Monday afternoon grass fire in the Applegate Valley. Applegate Fire District No. 9 officials said a delivery truck struck a utility pole in the 4000 block of Humbug Creek Road, northeast of the town of Applegate. Emergency dispatch received reports of an explosion, which fire officials believe happened when a wire on the pole snapped during impact and came in contact with a power line, causing an arc that started a fire. "We believe that was the sound the reporting party heard," said Chris Wolfard, Applegate Fire operations chief. "It took us a while to figure it out. That's the only thing we could come up with." Applegate Fire responded with two engines and two water tenders. Crews arrived on scene to see quarter-acre of grasslands ablaze near the pole. The Oregon Department of Forestry's Medford and Grants Pass offices responded with seven additional engines and one hand crew. Agency spokeswoman Melissa Cano said the heavy response was a precaution due to the ongoing "high" fire danger level on bone-dry ODF-protected lands in the area. "With dry conditions, it could get out of hand, potentially, but it didn't," Cano said. Crews stopped the blaze at one-half acre by about 3:30 p.m. The flames came within about 50 yards of a house. Five of the responding ODF engines had to respond to a second grass fire in the 1000 block of Upper Applegate Road, about 12 miles away in an area of mixed timber and brush. Reported at 3:45 p.m., that blaze grew to close to one and a half acres by the time crews snuffed it at 4:10 p.m. The cause is still under investigation. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Follow @@RyanPfeil Posted Aug. 2, 2016 at 1:22 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events 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 Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501