September 15, 2023 4:00 a.m.

With the fire danger level returning to High due to hotter temperatures, crews with the Douglas Forest Protective Association dealt with three fires in the Douglas District on Thursday.

Public Information Officer Rachel Pope said at 10:45 a.m. DFPA firefighters and crews from North Douglas County Fire and EMS responded to a quarter of an acre grass and brush fire on the shoulder of Interstate 5 southbound near Wards Butte Road and milepost 167, about a mile south of the south Cottage Grove exit. Pope said crews on the scene quickly extinguished the flames and cleared the area by 11:30 a.m. The cause of the Wards Butte Fire was found to be vehicle related. Details remain under investigation.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. crews from DFPA and Douglas County Fire District No. 2 responded to a 1/10th of an acre fire located near the 600 block of Heydon Road in the Melrose area. Pope said firefighters found that a single piece of logging equipment had caught on fire and had spread to nearby ground debris and freshly fallen timber. The operator of the equipment took immediate suppression action but was unable to contain the fire. Responding ground crews attacked the forward spread of the fire, while DFPA’s helicopter made several trips to extinguish the equipment fire. Through collaborative teamwork, the Heydon Road Fire was quickly extinguished, mopped up, and cleared by 5:30 p.m.

Pope said just after 4:50 p.m. crews from DFPA and Douglas County Fire District No. 2 responded to a fire near the 900 block of Lower Garden Valley Road, northwest of Roseburg. Crews found that two trees were burning and quickly extinguished the fire and cleared the area. The cause of the Lower Garden Valley Road Fire was found to be human-caused. Details of this fire remain under active investigation.

Fire season information is at: www.dfpa.net