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FEMA camp no more: Southern Oregon RV Park reopens to travelers By Nick Morgan May 31, 2022 12:45 AM A A Construction crews work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build decks for homes at the Southern Oregon RV Park in Central Point in this November 2020 file photo. All of the fire survivors have moved out, and the RV park at The Expo is open to travelers once again. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Southern Oregon RV Park has moved beyond emergency housing, restoring its core mission of welcoming travelers in motorhomes. Open again to the general public, the Central Point park was the first site to ink a contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for emergency shelter after the Labor Day 2020 fires. Survivors of the Almeda and South Obenchain fires sheltered at the park adjacent to The Expo for a year and a half. “They have all moved on to other housing solutions,” said Jackson County Roads and Parks Director Steve Lambert, adding that the county has "gone in and done a bunch of maintenance" to the facility. The park reopened to the general public earlier this month, and already is “getting really busy,” according to Lambert. The announcement came exactly 18 months after the Nov. 27, 2020, press conference announcing Almeda fire survivor Simon Turner and his family as the first Southern Oregon fire survivors to move onto the property. At its zenith, 89 spaces were filled with locals displaced in the Labor Day 2020 fires, according to earlier news reports . Lambert described the county-owned RV park as a popular place for travelers — whether they’re in the Rogue Valley for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Britt Music & Arts Festival or a tournament at Lithia & Driveway Fields. The park at Interstate 5 Exit 33 offers full hookup RV sites with 20-, 30- and 50-amp service and free Wi-Fi and is nestled between two fishing ponds, according to the county website. Rates range between $38 and $40 per night depending on the size of the space, plus fees for reservations and additional vehicles. Lambert encouraged those interested in using the park to call for reservations by calling 541-423-8115 or see jacksoncountyor.org/parks/Camping/So-Oregon-RV-Park. Reach web editor Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MTwebeditor.