July 22, 2024 1:40 p.m.
Saturday night at approximately 11:00 p.m. the first predicted thunderstorm swept across the Douglas District, bringing with it several registered lightning strikes.
Douglas Forest Protective Association Public Information Officer Rachel Pope said that immediately initiated the first found of lightning reconnaissance. Pope said at 2:00 a.m. Sunday a more considerable thunderstorm made its way across the district. This storm lingered for several hours, bringing more confirmed air-to-ground lightning strikes, and scattered light rain in different areas.
As of 10:00 a.m. Sunday, DFPA crews had responded to 30 smoke investigation calls. Pope said five of those calls are confirmed lightning-caused fires. Three of these fires were about 1/100th of an acre, were mopped up, and are in patrol status. They are:
*Morgan Creek Fire near Myrtle Creek. This was a 0.1-acre ground fire. It was quickly extinguished, trailed, and mopped up.
*Dole Road #2 Fire near Myrtle Creek. Responding crews located a 0.1-acre grass fire burning in reprod. This fire was quickly extinguished, trailed, and mopped up.
*Ash Creek Fire near Riddle. Crews responded to a reported lightning strike and located a fire estimated to be 0.1 acre. It was quickly extinguished, trailed, and mopped up
Two are the active fires as of Sunday afternoon are:
*Strawberry Mountain Fire southeast of Roseburg. Around 12:30 a.m. Sunday camera detection spotted smoke in the area of this fire. Ground crews were able to hike in and locate the lightning-started fire, estimated to be 1.8 acres in size. It is in timber, 11 miles east of Roseburg and 3 miles south of Buckhorn Road. DFPA engines, 2-20 person contracted crews, a tender, and fallers are working on the fire. The forward spread has been knocked down and it is currently 100 percent trailed, plumbed, and in mop-up status.
*Old Blue Fire in the Elkton area. Just before 7:40 a.m. Sunday, ground reconnaissance crews located a lightning-struck tree, with an estimated ¼ of an acre fire about 10 miles south of Elkton. DFPA and Coos Forest Protective Association are on the scene and have the fire 100 percent lined.
Pope said lightning reconnaissance continues throughout the district.