Wildfire burns 150 acres near I-5 in southern Oregon

(Update: Fire now 150 acres)

An air and ground fight was underway to stop a wildfire that broke out late Wednesday near Interstate 5, a mile southeast of Canyonville in southern Oregon, and had burned 150 acres by late Thursday.

Crews from the Douglas Forest Protective Association and Canyonville-South Umpqua Fire Department responded to the fire around 10 p.m. They found it was about a half-acre in size and burning in old-growth timber and brush, on a steep, rocky hillside.

Other agencies were called in as the fire grew to about seven acres by midnight, 15 acres by morning and an estimated 35 to 40 acres by early Thursday afternoon, 80 acres a few hours later, according to the association’s Facebook page.

Officials said the blaze had moved into the scar of a fire from the late 1980s, with a large amount of standing dead trees and heavy brush.

The Douglas FPA reported five helicopters were working on the fire Thursday and an air tanker from Medford had been called in, along with two single-engine air tankers (SEAT planes).

“At this time, the fire is burning uphill and is not moving toward Canyonville,” the association said in an afternoon update.

An early-evening update assured residents that most of the fire is moving uphill, away from I-5, and not threatening the Canyonville, Riddle or Azalea areas. A Level 1 (be ready) evacuation notice was issued for four homes south of the fire.

Oregon State Police asked drivers in the area to be diligent and pay close attention to the road, as the smoke can shift and affect visibility quickly.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.