June 19, 2025 4:00 a.m.

Firefighters working on the Upper Applegate Fire in Jackson County are holding it at an estimated 350 acres as of Wednesday evening, following an aggressive initial attack that spanned numerous hours.

An update from the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District said the fire, located on private and Bureau of Land Management land along the 2000 block of Upper Applegate Road, was first reported at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday as a grassfire. Public Information Officer Natalie Weber said Applegate Rural Fire District and ODF Southwest Oregon District crews initially responded and found a fast-moving grassfire estimated between 5 and 10 acres that was quickly growing in the hot, windy conditions, pushed uphill by dry vegetation.

Weber said numerous resources were ordered for the firefight, including additional ODF engines, crews and multiple helicopters, Large Air Tankers, a Very Large Air Tanker and an air attack plane. Additionally structural task forces from fire agencies across Jackson and Josephine counties were ordered during second and third alarm calls to protect homes in the area. Resources from the BLM and U.S. Forest Service Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest arrived on scene to assist quickly as well.

Weber said the fire continued to quickly grow in the wind, reaching an estimated 120 acres by 2:30 p.m. and nearing 200 acres by 3:30 p.m.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management, working with firefighters to identify homes that were threatened issued evacuation notices. An evacuation center is currently open at Jacksonville Elementary School.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. For more information on the Southwestern Oregon District, go to: www.swofire.com.