Medford, Ore. — There are new details tonight on the fire that broke out on Thursday around 6:15 in the evening. It happened between Whittle Avenue and Corona Avenue, off Highway 62 behind Best Buy.
The flames came dangerously close to homes. People living near the fire jumped into action, trying to keep the roughly four-acre fire from spreading to six homes in the area. Now one woman who helped, is being called a hero.
“I climbed over the fence and proceeded to get the fire where I could and just tried to help as much as I could and get the fence wet. Because as long as it didn’t pass the fence most of it would be ok,” said Heather Patton who’s credited with saving her neighbor’s home.
According to fire investigators, the fire started from a commercial tractor harvesting barley grown on land owned by the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport, but leased by a farmer.
“I think it was a hydrolic line or something maybe a bearing that went out that was dropping hot enough pieces of material to ignite the crops behind him,” said Medford Fire Marshal Greg Kleinberg.
Kleinberg said the man operating the machinery lost his John Deer Harvester, worth about $62,000. About $1,800 in crops also burned. Overall, including damage to fences and other items investigators said there were $65,000 in damages.
While Kleinberg said there will be no citations because it was an accidental fire and agricultural crops are exempt from mowing restrictions, Deputy City Attorney Lori Cooper said about a month ago the city told residents on the property to cut their plants because they were a fire hazard. However, she said they refused saying they were growing barley crops. She said now, the very thing the city feared, happened.
Cooper said they’re now talking to code enforcement, trying to determine what happens next.
Starting on Saturday, there will be new restrictions in place as the fire danger level increases to extreme.
The Oregon Department of Forestry says vegetation in Southwest Oregon has been cooked into a tinder-dry condition. Chain saw use will be prohibited between the hours of 10:00 a.m.
and 8:00 p.m.
The mowing of dry or dead grass with powered- equipment will be prohibited between those same hours.
However, this will not apply to the mowing of green lawns, or equipment used for the culture and harvest of agricultural crops.
There are more restrictions, so for more information contact the Oregon Department of Forestry’s office in your area.
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