Milepost 97 Fire nears 12,000 acres; 10% contained

Firefighters have brought the nearly 12,000-acre Milepost 97 Fire to 10 percent containment, but the danger to the nearly 1,300 firefighters in the rugged terrain was evident overnight when a firefighter was struck by rolling debris and taken to the hospital.

The fire that broke out late Wednesday night near Canyonville, apparently from an illegal campfire, was mapped Monday at 11,668 acres, according to an update on the fire’s Facebook page.

Incident Commander Link Smith told fire crews at Monday morning’s briefing, “Today’s a great day for opportunity,” referring to a good-news change in the weather. A marine layer is due to enter the area Monday, bringing cooler temperatures, some cloud cover and higher humidity, aiding firefighter efforts.

Officials said the fire was growing slowly toward the south, paralleling Interstate 5.

“Firefighters and aircraft are focusing much of the suppression effort on this south portion of the fire to prevent further spread towards communities,” the update stated, noting more than 500 structures were still under evacuation notices, mostly Level 1 (Get Ready) or 2 (Get Set) and three under Level 3 evacuation.

“Public and firefighter safety remains a top priority,” the update said. “Shortly after midnight last night, a firefighter was struck by rolling debris. The firefighter was evaluated and treated on scene and transported by air to Rogue Valley Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment. The firefighter was released this morning.”