August 26, 2023 6:15 a.m. 

As of 5:00 p.m. Friday, crews with the Douglas Forest Protective Association has responded to sixty lightning recon calls and a total of nineteen confirmed fires.

Public Information Officer Rachel Pope said for clarity and tracking, these lightning fires are being referred to as the Tyee Ridge Complex. Due to the complexity of the terrain and fire activity, an Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team has been requested and will be taking over command Saturday night at 6:00 p.m.

Of this complex, the main priority of focus is fires located in the Tyee/Umpqua/Hubbard Creek area. The Cougar Creek Fire/Rattlesnake Ridge Fire has grown to an estimated 1,000 acres. Aerial and ground resources are actively engaged, but due to the complexity of fire activity, emergency evacuations have been issued by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Look for evacuation information at www.541radio.com