6/27/2024
Jackson County, OR. – Official Release: At 11:56am on June 26, 2024, a call was received by Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon ECSO 911 regarding a possible fire at 4600 Table Rock Road. The initial caller was unsure of what was on fire. Additional callers believed that dry grass in a field was burning, and that the fire was rapidly approaching a building.
Personnel from Fire District 3’s Risk Reduction Division happened to be nearby at the time of the call and arrived quickly on scene. They reported a grassfire that was spreading to taller grass in the field, with winds pushing the fire towards a structure, storage unit, and towards Table Rock Road. They, along with the first engines on scene, encountered locked gates at the driveway that required cutting to gain access. The first engine on scene was Medford’s Engine 14, which arrived at 12:03PM.
A male adult was encountered on the property who was detained and later arrested by Jackson County Sheriff Oregon Deputies. Please see JCSO’s post for details on the arrest.
Multiple Engines, Brush Trucks and Command Staff from Fire District 3 and Medford Fire Department were able to stop the spread of the grassfire, however the building on-site did sustain damage on both the interior and exterior of the structure. Additionally, vehicles parked near the building also sustained fire damage. The grassfire was a ½ acre in size and 25% of the interior of the building was damaged by the fire. Table Rock Road was closed during the incident between Vilas Road and Biddle Road and was later reopened at 2:40PM.
Investigators from Fire District 3 found that the fire originated to the west side of the building that was surrounded by tall vegetation and dry grass. The fire was determined to be human caused and involved the use of power tools. There were two burn barrels located nearby, however, they were not involved in the fire.
With fire season in effect coupled with high temperatures and high winds, we encourage everyone to be extra vigilant if conducting any work around dry grass and flammable vegetation. If work has to be done, do it safely and follow the regulations. Mow in the morning when it is cooler and avoid using power tools when conditions are windy. Keep water on hand and monitor the area closely. Unsafe work that causes a fire to ignite in a reckless manner is a chargeable offense under Oregon Revised Statutes.
To stay up to date on fire season classifications and restrictions you can visit www.swofire.com.
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