Local News

Multiple agencies battled a three-alarm barn fire that spread to hay and vegetation near Cave Junction late last weekend. On Sunday at 5:20 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, Oregon Department of Forestry, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response were dispatched to the structure fire in the 200-block of Smith Sawyer Road. Arriving units found a fully-involved barn with other structures at risk. Second and third alarms were initiated that brought additional assistance from the US Forest Service and Grayback Forestry. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police assisted with traffic control. Rogue Valley Task Force 2 from Jackson County was placed on standby. By 6:05 p.m., firefighters had knocked down the wildland portion of the blaze while structural crews remained engaged on the barn fire. Air resources arrived on scene to assist. By 6:45 p.m., resources were lining and mopping up the fire which was GPS-mapped at just over 2-1/2 acres. By 7:25 p.m., the fire was 90% lined and 40% mopped up. No injuries were reported and no homes were damaged during the fire. The cause is under investigation.

 

A Grants Pass man was hospitalized after a weekend medical event caused him to crash his vehicle off Williams Highway near Murphy. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck on Highway 238 near Crystal Drive on Sunday at 11:15 a.m.. State troopers said an investigation indicated that 79-year-old Bradley Lavern Ruonavaara was driving a Chevrolet MOC when the vehicle left the highway, went through a fence and into a grass field. They said the driver suffered a medical event that caused him to lose control of the vehicle. Ruonavaara was transported by ground ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center. The wrecked Chevrolet was hauled into Grants Pass by Oregon Towing.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man on an out-of-state felony warrant following a weekend traffic stop and foot pursuit near the Grants Pass Shopping Center. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies placed 30-year-old Robert Anthony Dale into custody at the Beacon Drive McDonald's on Sunday morning. Deputies said they pulled over a Ford F-250 with California plates driven by Dale near the intersection of the Grants Pass Parkway and NE F Street. They said they knew was wanted on a Del Norte, California, County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to a property crime arrest. Dale reportedly bailed out of the pickup and ran, but he was tackled to the ground and placed into handcuffs for the short ride to the Josephine County Jail. Dale was booked into jail on the warrant plus new charges of Resisting Arrest, Attempted Escape and Methamphetamine Possession. He was being held without bail pending extradition to Crescent City.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for starting two small fires and leaving them unattended near north-city businesses early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the first incident at the Motel 6 on NE 7th Street on Monday around 12:30 a.m.. Police said a motel employee reported a male subject later identified as 56-year-old Shannon Dixon Beckett was trying to set things on fire in the parking lot. They wanted him trespassed from the premises. Officers arrived on scene and discovered that Beckett had also set a small fire near Taco Bell and he turned on a water faucet at another nearby business. They said he created public panic and alarm that required multiple police and fire units to rush to the scene. Firefighters quickly extinguished the small fires. Beckett was located and placed into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and Reckless Endangering. He was being held without bail. Jail records show Beckett had prior arrests for Arson and Reckless Burning plus he was a City Expulsion Violator in Medford.

 

Oregon's wildfire response continues to evolve with the Department of Forestry's recent addition of regional air attack and ongoing investment in severity aircraft. Air attack is the airplane and crew that fly above a wildfire to coordinate aircraft and groundwork to stop a fire -- a flying air traffic control center. Air attack has three primary responsibilities -- keeping firefighters safe, ensuring accurate drops of water and retardant, and giving incident commanders a clear picture of the fire. Recent investments by Oregon's legislature gave ODF two regional air attack teams. The regional air attack builds on the "severity aircraft" program to better use state resources. Over the past couple of decades, the legislature has continued investing in firefighters and technology that return great results. ODF Director of Fire Operations Kyle Williams said the regional air attack and severity aircraft give the agency a huge advantage and both are excellent investments. He said they help them fight wildfires with surgical precision.

 

Due to recent and forecasted high temperatures along with increasing fire danger, the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management has implemented additional public use restrictions on lands it manages in Southern Oregon. As of today, the Medford BLM District has moved to "extreme" fire danger. Campfires are no longer allowed anywhere on the District including Hyatt Lake Campground. Visitors can use portable cooking stoves that use liquefied or bottled fuels. Propane fire pits with an on/off valve are permitted in areas free of vegetation. Otherwise, campfires or any other type of open fire -- including the use of charcoal briquettes -- are prohibited. Smoking is only allowed while inside a vehicle or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is clear of flammable vegetation. Operating any motor vehicle and parking off-road is only allowed on roadways clear of vegetation. Using fireworks, exploding targets or tracer ammunition is prohibited. Using a chainsaw, welding or operating a torch with an open flame is prohibited. Visitors to BLM-administered public lands are also required to carry tools with them to ensure small fires can be put out quickly including a shovel and at least one gallon of water or a 2.5-pound fire extinguisher. Violation of these restrictions can result in a fine up to $100,000 and/or one year in prison.

 

With triple-digit temperatures and dry fuels, the City of Grants Pass has followed the Oregon Department of Forestry in declaring extreme fire danger. The primary difference between high fire danger and extreme fire danger affects the public use of power-driven equipment such as chainsaws and mowers. As of 12:01 a.m. today, the use of power-driven equipment, grinding and cutting of metal, and other spark-emitting equipment -- such as wood-splitters and generators -- is prohibited in areas of flammable vegetation. The mowing of dry, cured grass with power machinery may not take place at any time. Mowing of green lawns is still allowed. Open wood-fueled fires -- including campfires, cooking fires and warming fires --inside the city limits are prohibited, except at locations designated by the Grants Pass Fire Marshal. Wood smokers, charcoal barbecues as well as propane- and natural gas-fueled ornamental fires are allowed. Motor vehicles -- including motorcycles and ATVs -- are only allowed on improved roads free of flammable vegetation, except for the culture and harvest of agricultural crops. The City Fire Marshal or an authorized representative may -- in writing -- approve a modification or waiver of these requirements.

 

The Rogue Community College Foundation is now accepting nominations for its 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award, which honors graduates who have made meaningful contributions to their profession, community or the world. Established in 2008, the RCC Outstanding Alumni Award celebrates graduates who have made a lasting impact -- whether through career success, community leadership or service to others -- after earning a degree or certificate from RCC. Nominations are open through August 25th. To be eligible, nominees must have completed a certificate or degree at RCC and meet at least one of the following criteria: demonstrated success in their business, profession or vocational field; or made significant contributions to their community through civic involvement, volunteerism, public service or other humanitarian efforts. Anyone may submit a nomination. The 2025 recipient will be honored during the RCC President's Circle Reception in September. The nomination form and more details are available at "roguecc.edu/foundation."

 

Multiple agencies battled a three-alarm barn fire that spread to hay and vegetation near Cave Junction late yesterday. On Sunday at 5:20 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, Oregon Department of Forestry, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response were dispatched to the structure fire in the 200-block of Smith Sawyer Road. Arriving units found a fully-involved barn with other structures at risk. Second and third alarms were initiated that brought additional assistance from the US Forest Service and Grayback Forestry. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police assisted with traffic control. Rogue Valley Task Force 2 from Jackson County was placed on standby. By 6:05 p.m., firefighters had knocked down the wildland portion of the blaze while structural crews remained engaged on the barn fire. Air resources arrived on scene to assist. By 6:45 p.m., resources were lining and mopping up the fire which was GPS-mapped at just over 2-1/2 acres. By 7:25 p.m., the fire was 90% lined and 40% mopped up. No injuries were reported and no homes were damaged during the fire. The cause is under investigation.