Crews line 345-acre wildfire in SW Oregon

(Update: Fire fully lined, nearly contained)

An early-season wildfire over the weekend burned nearly 350 acres near the Jackson County town of Butte Falls, but crews have it fully lined and 90 percent contained, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported Monday.

The Medco B Fire was reported Saturday near Medo Pond, just east of state Highway 62 and north of Butte Falls, according to ODF’s SW Oregon Facebook page.

The fire broke out early Saturday afternoon and upslope winds during the afternoon and early evening pushed the fire across logging units on private land. One of the units had been recently felled and bucked, and the other had been logged several years earlier, officials said.

Resources called in on the fire included a Type 1 helicopter on Saturday, several water tenders and bulldozers, hand crews and a U.S. Forest Service 20-person Hotshot crew.

More than 100 firefighters remained on the scene Monday, working to hold and improve the fire line and extinguish burning material within 50 feet of the line. Equipment available to the firefighters includes five water tenders, six wildland fire engines and three bulldozers. Aircraft are available if needed, officials said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

“Big thanks to our partners with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management for the interagency coordination,” said ODF’s Southwest Oregon District Forester, Dave Larson. “The success of our strong partnerships is especially appreciated during these pre-season fires and warmer conditions.”