Document text
SUNNY Temp: 90 °F Wind: W at 14 mph Tuesday, July 15, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 13, 2003 An air tanker drops retardant on a fire in the Ashland watershed Saturday. By nightfall, the fire had burned 20 acres about 3 miles southwest of Ashland. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Watershed fire reaches 20 acres Some Ashland-area forest roads are closed, but no buildings are in danger By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Crews attacked a fire in the city’s watershed Saturday in hopes of beating the blaze before it ravaged the steep, timbered slopes that funnel down the town’s water supply. The Horn Gap fire is burning about 3 miles southwest of Ashland in the Rogue River National Forest. By 6 p.m., it had burned 20 acres in rugged terrain and heavy timber in the northern corner of the Ashland watershed, forest spokeswoman Mary Marrs estimated. Crews had cut a fire line around 40 percent of the blaze by Saturday evening, she said. Officials have not yet estimated a time of containment. The watershed is the city’s primary water source, and wildfire risk there has been a top community concern. Years of fire suppression have left slopes densely overgrown and potentially at risk for a catastrophic wildfire. A fire would expose soils that are susceptible to erosion, which could endanger the water supply, city officials have said. Advertisement The Horn Gap fire doesn’t threaten any buildings. However, for public safety, fire officials closed Ashland Loop Road, also known as Forest Service Road 2060. Roadblocks were set at the Four Corners area at the junction of Forest Service roads 2060 and 2080-600 to block vehicles, bikes, motorcycles and hikers, Marrs said. The fire was reported via 9-1-1 about 11 p.m. Friday, the Oregon Department of Forestry dispatch center said. Firefighters assessed the distant blaze from the caller’s house but couldn’t hike to the area until Saturday. The ODF started dousing the fire with water from helicopters early Saturday and ground crews hiked to the blaze by 8 a.m. The Forest Service took over the firefighting effort because the fire is in a national forest, Marrs said. Firefighting aircraft, fire engines and the Rogue River hotshot crew, an eliteinteragency firefighting force, quickly converged on the fire. "This is just the initial attack," Marrs said. "Ninety percent of fires are put out in the initial attack. We can keep them small and get them out fast." Three helicopters scooped water from Ashland’s Reeder Reservoir and dumped it on the fire throughout the day. Air tankers from Redmond and Redding, Calif., made nine fire retardant drops, Marrs said. No tankers are stationed at Medford’s tanker base, which works as a reloading station. "The retardant drops cool the fire so ground crews can get in," she said. By midafternoon, 40 people on the ground worked to carve a line around the blaze, Marrs said. Around 2:30 p.m., fire officials sent the air tanker from Redding home, she said. Another 20-person crew joined the battle on the ground later in the afternoon, Marrs said. After a long day, crews planned to head down the mountain to rest. Only a few people were scheduled to remain through the night to monitor the fire. As is done on all fires, a team of Forest Service officials quickly evaluated the potential effects of the fire on water supplies, soil conditions and forestland, she said. The assessment helps firefighters plan a strategy. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times