The scene at the Salt Creek Fire east of Eagle Point.

The Salt Creek Fire grew by roughly 100 acres into Friday morning to 3,990 acres, and containment has increased to 24%, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Nearly 750 firefighters are assigned to the fire, up from 700 Thursday, including 27 hand crews, 19 engines, nine bulldozers, 12 water tenders and eight tree fallers. The estimated cost to fight the fire is $4.5 million, ODF Incident Management Team 1 reported Friday morning. 

“Snags, or hazard trees that are primed to fall, remain a safety concern on the line and fallers will be removing them throughout the day as firefighters continue to mop up,” according to a morning email update. The Salt Creek Fire 2024 Facebook page was down Friday morning.

On Thursday morning, the Bureau of Land Management Butte Falls Field Office temporarily closed BLM-managed lands in the area for public and firefighter safety, according to a news release. Members of the public may not enter closed areas, and all uses — including hiking, hunting and dispersed camping — are prohibited, the release said.

The closure order encompasses BLM lands within affected evacuation zones. This includes BLM lands south of Butte Falls Highway, north of Highway 140, and east of Salt Creek Road to the U.S. Forest Service boundary. See the map for full closure information on the BLM website: https://www.blm.gov/orwafire

“Public and firefighter safety are the highest priority,” the release said. “The closure will allow fire suppression crews to continue to safely respond to the incident. As it becomes safe to do so, firefighters will begin to assess the closure and their impacts in alignment with sound risk management practices.”

On Wednesday, firefighters toiled once again amid wind and high heat.

Two firefighters went to the hospital Tuesday to be rehydrated, while another did not return to the fire on Wednesday, an earlier post said. Heat-related illnesses have affected several others, as well. ODF has medical personnel on the fire to respond to sick or injured firefighters, the post said.

The Salt Creek Fire broke out shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday, and its cause is under investigation.

ODF IMT1 took command of the fire on Monday to allow ODF Southwest Oregon District crews to focus on new fire starts, according to an earlier release from the agency.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Emergency Management have issued an “Evacuation Level 1: ‘Be ready'” notice for Zones JAC-316, JAC-317, JAC-319 and JAC-321, ODF said Sunday.

The zones are north of Highway 140, approximately 12 miles east of Eagle Point in the Lake Creek area, east of Salt Creek Road, south and west of Fish Lake Road, including the Willow Lake area, the post said.

On Tuesday, Jackson County Emergency Management added evacuation zone JAC-325-A, largely located southwest of Esmond Mountain and bordering on the south at Highway 140.

More info on evacuation zones can be found at Genasys Protect. 

Salt Creek Road and Wasson Canyon Road are closed at Highway 140, ODF said, and Double Day Road is closed off at Butte Falls Highway. Highway 140 and Butte Falls Highway remain open, but officials urge residents to stay clear of crews working in the fire zone.

The fire danger level in the Southwest Oregon District switched over to “extreme” (red) on Tuesday.

The Shelly Fire in the Klamath National Forest in Northern California was listed at 10,225 acres Friday morning and is 1% contained, according to the Inciweb website. There are more than 2,700 personnel on scene.

This is a developing story and will be updated as warranted.