Bear Creek Greenway, Ore. — A fire burned grass and brush on the Greenway in Medford on Thursday night.
Fire district 3, Medford Fire and the Oregon Department of Forestry all worked together to fight the blaze from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. But you didn’t have to be at the fire to see the smoke.
“Last night, pulled in after a test drive with a customer and there was a huge fire behind our dealership,” said Nick Matthews, car salesman at Crater Lake Ford Dealership.
Crater Lake Ford is two miles from the where the majority of the fire was, but it still left some residue.
“Just a bunch of ash on our vehicles. And smoke, it was rolling through here pretty thick,” Matthews said.
There was one major fire that caused four other fire spots to come up.
The Greenway is well known for its transient community, and while no one was hurt, Mercy Flights was called in for smoke inhalation.
Fire District 3 said they don’t know when they’ll find out the cause of the fire, but there is an investigator on the case.
“He’s looking at all different angles to see where this fire started from,” said Lara Ashley from Fire District 3.
Angles like burn patterns, and he will also interview residents in the area.
As far as how safe the area is after the fire, Fire District 3 said they are being cautious because of the types of wild land in the area.
“The type of fuels that we do see like behind us are considered light flashy fuels, one hour fuels. So they ignite very quickly,” Ashley said.
Paired with factors such as low humidity, warmer temperatures and wind, it can increase the chance for a fire.
“It would be very easy for a fire, if there was a hot spot for it to spark up and ignite again,” said Ashley said.
Fire District 3 said to help prevent fires, it’s important to know what the current restrictions and shut-offs are in your area. You can find the most up-to-date restrictions here.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.