Upper Applegate Fire prompts ongoing evacuation notices for communities near Ruch

Wildfire

Upper Applegate Fire prompts ongoing evacuation notices for communities near Ruch

老夫子传媒 | By Roman Battaglia

Published June 21, 2024 at 3:10 PM PDT

Early in the morning and still dark, a wildfire is visible burning on hills in the background — The Upper Applegate Fire burning early in the morning of June 21, 2024.

The Oregon Department of Forestry said it鈥檚 making good progress fighting a nearly 500 acre wildfire in Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley south of the community of Ruch.

The agency said the fire is burning on extremely steep terrain, which makes it more difficult to suppress. The wildfire started Thursday afternoon, at around the same time as another fire on the opposite side of Jackson county near Shady Cove. That fire has now been contained.

Over 100 firefighting personnel are assigned to the Applegate incident. An area southeast of the fire remains under a level one 鈥� "BE READY" 鈥� .

A number of local, state and federal agencies are helping with the operation. The Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized two structural task forces to assist Friday morning.

The area where this fire is burning with a large die-off of drought-stressed Douglas fir trees, which could lead to greater wildfire risk.

The ODF said high temperatures and windy conditions will help fuel the fire through Friday.

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Roman Battaglia

Roman Battaglia is a regional reporter for 老夫子传媒. After graduating from Oregon State University, Roman came to JPR as part of the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. He then joined Delaware Public Media as a Report For America fellow before returning to the JPR newsroom.

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