August 28, 2019 9:45 a.m.
The Gyda Fire in southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley is now 100% lined and mop-up operations are underway.
A release from the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District and the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management, said the 55-acre fire is burning on private and BLM land.
The Gyda Fire was first reported just before 4:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Crews from Applegate Valley Fire Department along with ODF responded. An outbuilding was discovered to be fully involved. Another outbuilding was also destroyed by the fire. Structural resources were able to defend 12 homes in the immediate area, resulting in no damage or evacuations. Structural resources stayed on the scene until late Tuesday night and conducted patrols on the residences into early Wednesday. Firefighters were able to move 25 feet into the fire, identifying and extinguishing hot spots.
During the day Wednesday, firefighters have the goal of extending the efforts another 25 to 75 feet into the perimeter. Early Wednesday, crews ran into difficulty in the northeast corner of the fire, where multiple snags were found, creating a hazardous situation. Tree fallers have been assigned to the area to mitigate those hazards. Steep terrain is also creating a challenge for crews.
Several agencies are assisting in dealing with the Gyda Fire.