Milepost 97 fire in SW Oregon tops 11,000 acres

(Update: Fire mapped at over 11,000 acres, 5 pct. contained)

The Milepost 97 Fire in southwest Oregon was pushed to more than 11,000 acres by strong overnight wind while crews worked to contain spot fires that crossed or burned along Interstate 5 in the area of Turkey Creek, officials said Sunday.

Crews on Sunday worked to contain the spot fires and build line along the freeway corridor and the south and southwest edges of the blaze, according to the morning update on the fire’s Facebook page. The fire remained 5% contained.

Fire crews have placed equipment and vehicles along the shoulder of the freeway.

Jim Gersbach of the Oregon Department of Forestry says crews are fighting the fire from all directions and do not want fire crossing the freeway onto the east side.

Crews made progress along the north edge of the fire, while line along the western edge was built along the ridgetops to create a continuous line, where possible. More than 930 firefighters are assigned to the blaze.

Along with earlier Level 2 “Get Set” evacuation notices, a Level 1 “Get Ready” notice was issued for homes along Windy Creek and Barton roads.

A community fire information meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. at Glendale High School.

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Earlier info:

The Milepost 97 fire near Canyonville started late Wednesday and is burning in steep, rocky terrain about 100 miles north of the California border. Authorities say the likely cause was an illegal campfire.

Southbound I-5 has been reduced to one lane in the fire area for firefighter safety, officials said Saturday morning on the fire’s Facebook page.

Late Saturday, officials said shifting winds caused the fire to spot across I-5 near milepost 94 in the Turkey Creek area. Air and ground crews rushed in to contain the starts, and officials said crews would work through the night to stop them and search for any more starts.

The freeway remained open, according to ODOT TripCheck.

Late Saturday night, officials said the fire had an estimated firefighting cost so far of $2.1 million.

“The fire is burning within a fire scar from 1987 filled with hazardous snags and overgrown brush,” they said.

Smoke from the fire has led to an air quality advisory in four counties in the southwest part of the state.

A Level 1 pre-evacuation notice (Be Ready) remained in place for all homes on the west side of the freeway, between mileposts 88 and 83, as well as for homes off Upper Cow Creek Road, from I-5 east to the base of Galesville Dam.

Saturday afternoon, the sheriff’s office updated the evacuation notices west of the freeway and Upper Cow Creek Road to Level 2 (Get Set), meaning to “be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.”

The fire is the first significant blaze in Oregon this summer and is in an area of the state that’s been plagued by smoky air the past two years from large wildfires.