UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5, 10:00 p.m. -- The containment on the Hugo Road Fire continues to rise as firefighters are making additional progress. The fire is holding at 199 acres and is now 75 contained.
Crews have now completed mopping up 250 feet from the fire’s edge. While, the initial plan was to achieve 300 feet of mop up by the end of shift, several firefighters working on the Hugo Road Fire were dispatched to a new fire start six miles northeast of Selma. Thanks to the coordinated response, crews were able to catch the fire at roughly two acres.
A thorough investigation has revealed that the cause of the Hugo Road Fire was a result of a tree falling into a powerline.
Due to progress made by firefighters on the Hugo Road Fire all current evacuation levels are being downgraded to a Level 1 “BE READY” notice. Level 1’s will remain in effect until the end of the fire season.
For information regarding information, please contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, or follow the Josephine County Emergency ManagementFacebook page as evacuation levels are anticipated to change shortly.
UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5, 10:00 a.m. -- Fire crews have held the Hugo Road fire at 199 acres and have increased containment to 67 percent.
Firefighters have now mopped up 200 feet from the Hugo Road Fire’s perimeter and are continuing to boost the containment percentage – reaching 67 percent this morning.
Some community members impacted by the fire have started returning home as evacuation levels were downgraded on several portions of the fire yesterday evening.
Today, firefighters from several agencies will continue to expand the mop up footprint with the goal being 300 feet over the next 24 hours.
Per Josephine County Sheriff’s Office:
Due to progress made by firefighters on the Hugo Road Fire the following changes are being made to the current evacuation levels:
Level 3 “GO” notice:
7351, 7396, 7511, 7600, 7637, 7695, 7700, 7719 and 7720 Hugo Rd, 910, 1234, 1270, 1280 and 1291 Oxyoke Rd, 525, 900, 905, 912, and 920 Templin Ave, 398 and 540 Wilson Ln
Level 2 “BE SET” notice:
7007, 7151, 7222, 7226, 7230, 7251, 7310 and 7400 Hugo Rd, 225, 255, 345 and 401 Keeta Way, 326, 366, 380, 470 and 490 Monterico Rd, 350, 450, 500, 543, 571, 572, 575, 585, 620, 635, 680, 747, 750, 780, 785, 795, 809, 830, 848, 887, 925, 959, 1360, 1361, 1372, 1380, 1388, 1390, 1395, 1471, 1497 and 1525 Oxyoke Rd, 449, 465, 500, 570, 606 and 630 Templin Ave, 1129 Three Pine Rd, 225 Trevor Way, 291, 350, 370, 381, 401 and 453 Wilson Ln
Areas outside of the above describe streets and addresses are being downgraded to a Level 1 “BE READY.” Level 1’s will remain in effect until the end of the fire season.
For additional information regarding information, please contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, or follow the Josephine County Emergency Management Facebook page.
UPDATE: TUESDAY, SEPT. 4, 11:00 a.m. -- Fire crews are making short work of the Hugo Road fire, which started on Sunday evening on private land northwest of Grants Pass. As of 7:00 Tuesday morning, the fire had burned 199 acres and was 45 percent contained.
The fire has destroyed 13 structured -- including two homes -- and damaged two more. Another 265 structures are considered threatened.
Overnight, firefighters were able to complete mop up of 100 feet from the perimeter control line,
around the perimeter of structures, and from the edge of roadways. In addition, power was
restored throughout the area impacted by the fire.
Today’s primary goal is to extend the mop up area to at least 200 feet. Firefighters want to ensure that the continued afternoon winds do not pose a threat to our current control lines. While gusty winds will continue, temperatures are expected to be in the mid 80’s today and overnight humidity recoveries have improved.
Level 3 “GO” and Level 2 “BE SET” evacuation notices remain in effect, as of 7:00 this morning. With
great progress made overnight, there is a possibility evacuation levels may drop throughout the
day. The Sheriff’s Office will be evaluating this decision, and will notify all impacted residences via
Citizen Alert once they decide which areas are safe to re-enter. For additional information regarding
information, please contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, or follow the Josephine County
Emergency Management Facebook page.
ORIGINAL POST: MONDAY, SEPT. 3 --- Labor Day dawned with fire crews fighting a new fire in Josephine County, and with nearby residents sleeping at an emergency shelter.
The Hugo Road Fire broke out near sunset Sunday near the small community of Hugo, roughly ten miles north of Grants Pass. The cause is under investigation.
By Monday morning, Oregon Department of Forestry reported the fire at 250 acres, burning on private land west of Interstate Five. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office ordered Level 3 (Go) evacuations for Hugo Road and several neighboring roads. Lesser Level 2 (Set) evacuation notices were put in place for additional areas, including Monument Drive all the way to the I-5 Hugo interchange.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared the fire a conflagration before midnight Sunday, allowing the quick mobilization of fire crews from across the state.
Gusty winds could hamper the work of fire crews. The National Weather Service forecast includes wind gusts up to 26 miles an hour in the fire area Monday night.
Fire reports early Monday indicated that much of the fire area was already surrounded by fire lines, though the official containment figure was 15 percent. There was no confirmation on whether structures had already been lost in the early hours of the fire.
The Hugo Road fire makes three for the weekend in Josephine County alone; two broke out along Interstate Five on Friday, snarling traffic for hours.
And late Monday afternoon a new fire was reported near Jones Creek Road, near milepost 54 and one of the Friday fires.
