Roseburg News Review : Tiller Trail Fire 3.jpeg

TILLER — A wildfire in the area between Tiller and Drew, less than 40 miles north of Shady Cove, quickly spread Saturday afternoon, forcing people from their homes and causing Gov. Tina Kotek to invoke the Emergency Conflagration Act.

Douglas Forest Protective Association said fire crews responded to the Tiller Trail Fire near the 28000 block of Tiller Trail Highway around 2:40 p.m. when they found “a 50-acre fast-moving and quickly growing fire located in brush and light fuels and a fully engulfed barn,” according to a press release.

A press release from the Oregon State Fire Marshal said the fire was estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000 acres in size around 11 p.m. Saturday. The Green Incident Management Team and three structural task forces were activated.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office ordered several evacuations in the area.

An emergency evacuation shelter was set up at Canyonville School, at 124 N. Main St. in Canyonville.

“Over the last few days, we saw several fires spark on the west side of the Cascades. The fire danger across Oregon is extremely concerning. We are bringing in the full force of the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System to help protect homes and critical infrastructure near the Tiller Trail Fire,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Historically, August has been a challenging month in terms of wildfire, and this one is shaping up to be no different. I am calling on all Oregonians and visitors to do everything they can to prevent sparking another wildfire.”

The Oregon State Fire Marshal team will be briefed Sunday morning and will be in unified command with an Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team.

The conflagration act is invoked when the governor determines there are threats to life, safety and property because of fire and that the threat exceeds the capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Homestead Complex

Approximately 30 miles east of Glide, the Homestead Complex includes seven fires totaling 3,726 acres that are 14% contained with 415 people assigned.

Twelve firefighters from Australia and New Zealand arrived to serve in a range of resource positions on the fire.

“Fire managers continue directing resources to fires based on threats to property, infrastructure, industry and areas with the highest probability of success while providing for firefighter and public safety,” the latest update said.

The Bureau of Land Management and Umpqua National Forest have issued closures in the area of the fires.

Diamond Complex and Middle Fork Fire

The Diamond Complex Fire is made up of 27 lightning-caused fires in the Diamond Lake Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest. The complex was 8,129 acres by Saturday morning with 728 people assigned to fight the fire, which was 11% contained.

The Umpqua National Forest has two closures in place in response to fire activity and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has evacuation orders in place for several areas.

The Middle Fork Fire in the northwest corner of Crater Lake National Park had 28 people assigned, but is sharing resources with the Diamond Complex as needed.

Crater Lake National Park remains open, while the Middle Fork Fire has grown to 4,544 acres and is 0% contained.