A vehicle crash resulted in a wildfire around 5:15 p.m. Thursday in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 around milepost 98 in Canyonville.

“On arrival at the scene, a fully engulfed vehicle and an actively growing natural cover fire were found,” Douglas Forest Protective Association spokesperson Rachael Pope said in a press release. “Aerial and ground resources took immediate action and are engaged in an aggressive initial attack.”

The Milepost 98 Fire resulted in Level 3 and 2 evacuation notices being issued for areas of Canyonville by the Douglas County sheriff’s Office. A Level 3-Go Now evacuation notice was issued for all homes in the 100-7000 block of Ritchie Road in Canyonville. A Level 2-Be Set notice was issued for all homes in the 100-950 block of Canyon Creek Road in Canyonville.

By 11 p.m., the fire was estimated to be around 100 acres.

Traffic on Interstate 5 is impacted by the fire and firefighting operations, but the freeway remains open at this time.

Devils Knob Fire near Tiller

Another fire known as the Devil’s Knob Fire started just after 2 p.m. Thursday near Devils Knob Road and north of Joe Hall Creek in Tiller, southeast of the Dixon Fire footprint, on the Tiller Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

As of 8 p.m. Thursday the fire was estimated between 800-1,000 acres, and in incident command team had been ordered to mobilize Friday, according to the Umpqua National Forest.

On Friday morning, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 1-Be Ready evacuation order for the east side of Tiller Trail Highway-3400 to 36760 block. Also included are Tison Road, Diamond Elk Road and Joe Hall area.

Aerial and ground resources from multiple agencies, including Umpqua National Forest Tiller Ranger District Fire, Douglas Forest Protective Association, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Tiller Rural Fire Department and local landowners, arrived on scene and have been actively engaging in an aggressive initial attack.

The Diamond Complex in the in the Diamond Lake Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest is 11,141 acres and 81% contained with 935 personnel Thursday.

The Middle Forks Fire is 5,286 acres and 58% contained in the crater Lake National Park. The park remains open and can be accessed through the south entrance; the north entrance is closed but will open Friday afternoon for the annual Ride the Rim event.

The Homestead Complex in the Umpqua National Forest about 30 miles from Glide is 5,926 acres and 60% contained.

The Oregon Department of Forestry reminds the public that fire season is not over and fire is still on the landscape even with weather fluctuating across the state. Low humidity combined with eastern winds can increase fire risk and behavior west of the Cascades, with conditions of warm temperatures and dry fuels raising the risk.

“East winds are very common around this time of year, making now the time to prevent the next large wildfire. There is still potential for more fire starts and the season isn’t over yet,” said Chris Cline, fire protection division chief for the Oregon Department of Forestry, in a press release. “The fewer human caused fires we have, the less strained our resources will be.”

In the 2024 fire season, according go the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, there have been 1,697 fires in Oregon burning over 1.5 million acres.

Decreased temperatures limited fire activity and spread of the Devils Knob Fire in Tiller, the News-Review reported Friday morning.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, the fire was estimated to be 1,200-1,500 acres.

“Crews continue to engage in the initial attack, with additional resources on order,” Douglas Forest Protective Association spokesperson Rachael Pope said. “Due to the smoke inversion, air attack was unable to survey the area during this morning’s flyover. Air visibility will continue to be monitored, and aviation resources will be launched when possible.”

An evacuation notice was issued by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. To stay up to date on evacuations, please visit dcso.com/evacuations.

See the News-Review’s previous coverage below