8/12/2021    5:15 a.m.

CANYONVILLE – A rollover vehicle crash near the Skyline Ridge Complex, 5 miles east of Canyonville, sent 4 firefighters to the hospital Wednesday morning.

Shortly before 10:00 a.m., 911 dispatchers received a report of a single vehicle crash in the 15,000-block of Tiller Trail Highway.

Initial investigation found that a crew-vehicle transporting fire personnel from their night shift work assignment on the Skyline Ridge Complex, struck approximately 60-70 feet of guardrail before driving up a hillside and rolling over.

The injured personnel are part of a 20-person crew assigned to the fire.

The other members of the crew traveling in two additional vehicles were not involved in the crash.

The firefighters were transported by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, where they were treated and released.

Deputies determined the driver, a 38-year-old wildland firefighter from Salem, fell asleep while returning to fire camp.

Officials say neither alcohol, nor speed, were factors in the crash.

Most of the fires on the Skyline Ridge Complex are currently in mop-up status, leaving the Poole Creek Fire the main remaining fire to continue battling.

Overall containment on Skyline Ridge Complex stands at 23%, burning on a total of 3,546 acres, with the Poole Creek Fire accounting for the majority of that footprint at the last update.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has a Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuation advisory in place for residences in the area north of Poole Creek Fire.

This includes an area south of the South Umpqua River along Tiller Trail Highway, see an up-to-the-minute evacuation map HERE.

A Red Flag Warning, for extremely dry and unstable conditions, is in place for the Skyline Ridge Complex area from 2:00 p.m. today until 11:00 p.m. tonight.