Local News

Crews working on the Upper Applegate Fire were able to hold the wildfire overnight, securing a fire line around 70% of its perimeter. The Upper Applegate Fire -- located on private and BLM land along the 2,000-block of Upper Applegate Road -- was estimated this morning to be 470 acres. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports the fire has not grown beyond its footprint from late Wednesday afternoon. Resources were able to connect hose throughout 50% of the fire, bringing water to the incident and allowing crews to hold line and extinguish hot spots easier. A total of 204 personnel are assigned to the fire today including eight hand crews, seven engines, six bulldozers and three water tenders. Aircraft on the fire includes two Type 2 and three Type 1 helicopters as well as an air attack plane. Air tankers will be ordered for retardant drops as needed. The Oregon State Fire Marshal sent two structural task forces from Lane and Marion counties to help local resources protect homes in the wildfire area. ODF officials said resources will focus on holding and improving existing lines today. The only area that remains unlined is on the north flank of the fire where numerous hazard trees are located. Tree fallers are working to mitigate the snags. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management have issued evacuation notices and orders that can be found on "RVEM.org." An evacuation shelter is currently open at Jacksonville Elementary School. Small pets can be taken there while large livestock can be taken to the Jackson County Expo Park. Upper Applegate Road remains closed to the public at this time, but local residents will be allowed through. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

 

Swift action by the Oregon Department of Forestry halted a wildfire near Prospect at just two acres yesterday. On Wednesday afternoon, ODF responded to a reported fire on Red Blanket Road. At the time, the fire was estimated to be five acres in size. Crews gained access and engaged in an aggressive initial attack. Numerous resources including engines and aircraft backed hand crews in the successful firefight. By 4:15 p.m., the fire was lined and resources transitioned to mop-up operations. Aircraft assigned to the fire were rerouted to the Upper Applegate Fire near Ruch. ODF officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office chased down and then jailed a man wanted on a local felony warrant in Cave Junction yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 38-year-old Jordan Ellis Haas in the 200-block of South Redwood Highway on Wednesday at 1:21 p.m.. Deputies said they spotted Haas and knew that he was wanted on a Josephine County warrant for Felony Parole Violation stemming from a past conviction for 1st-Degree Forgery. They said the suspect took off running toward Watkins Street. Haas was chased down and placed into custody, but he provided deputies with a false name and insisted it was true. Law enforcement knew otherwise. Haas was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus new charges of Attempted Escape and Furnishing False Information to Police. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant in the southeast part of the city late yesterday. The Police Department reports officers spotted and then contacted 33-year-old Nicholas Leo Yeley near the corner of East Park Street and Parkdale Drive on Wednesday around 5:30 p.m.. Police said Yeley was known to them by sight due to previous encounters and he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for failing to appear in court for Contempt of Court. He had violated a court order and skipped his court date. Yeley was placed into custody without incident. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on an outstanding warrant late yesterday after she caused a traffic disruption in the north part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident involving 31-year-old Amber Rose Rahlf in the 1500-block of NE 6th Street on Wednesday at 4:14 p.m.. Police said they contacted Rahlf for blocking vehicular traffic and discovered that she was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Possession of Fentanyl. She was placed into custody without incident. Rahlf was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and warned for Disorderly Conduct because she was in the roadway and caused a vehicle to stop. Rahlf elected to leave her purse with a male companion who was identified by GPPD as "Timothy Woods."

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after he crashed into a utility pole in Cave Junction early yesterday. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were requested to perform a welfare check on a man who was slumped over the steering wheel of a Honda sedan in the 200-block of North Redwood Highway on Wednesday at 7:20 a.m.. Before deputies contacted 40-year-old Patrick Arthur Murphy, II, they noticed damage to his vehicle that was consistent with a downed utility pole along the highway. They said Murphy displayed signs of impairment and performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so he was placed into custody. Murphy was transported to Grants Pass and lodged in jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. His damaged car was impounded. The Sheriff's Office advised the Oregon Department of Transportation about the damaged pole in the median of the highway between River and Palmer streets.

 

Two Grants Pass motorists lost possession of their vehicles after being cited for violations following Wednesday traffic stops. The Police Department reports the first incident occurred at 2:32 p.m. yesterday when they pulled over a gray sedan driven by a man identified as "Stahly" near the corner of NE D Street and Silverwood Place. Police said they stopped Stahly for running a red light and speeding. He was cited for Driving While Suspended and warned for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device, Speeding and No Insurance. His vehicle was impounded. The second incident happened at 10:56 p.m. yesterday when officers pulled over a red Subaru driven by a man identified as "Pond" near the corner of NE F Street and Fire Mountain Way. Police said they cited Pond for Careless Driving, Driving While Suspended and No Insurance. His unregistered and uninsured Subaru was impounded.

 

A disturbance between two people at a downtown resting site early yesterday led to a city ordinance citation for one of them. Grants Pass Police were alerted to a verbal argument between Samantha Brown and Daniel Dawson at the NW 5th Street resting site on Wednesday at 9:25 a.m.. Officers broke up the argument and noticed that Brown's campsite was covered in trash. They cited Brown for Scattering Rubbish. Brown was warned that a second such citation would result in a 30-day exclusion.

 

A fast-moving grass fire near Ruch has turned into the largest wildfire incident in southwest Oregon so far this year. The Oregon Department of Forestry reported last night that the Upper Applegate Fire was being held at an estimated 350 acres following an aggressive initial attack by multiple agencies. The fire is located on private and BLM land along the 2,000-block of Upper Applegate Road. It was first reported on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. as a grass fire. The Applegate Valley Fire District and ODF crews responded first and discovered a 10-to-15-acre vegetation fire that was quickly growing uphill in the hot, windy conditions. It had grown to 120 acres by 2:30 p.m. and 200 acres by 3:30 p.m. Numerous resources were ordered for the firefight including additional engines, crews and multiple helicopters, large air tankers, a very large air tanker and an air attack plane. Structural task forces from fire agencies across Jackson and Josephine counties were ordered during the second and third alarm calls to protect homes in the area. Additional resources from the BLM and US Forest Service also arrived. Last night, an additional eight 20-person hand crews, eight engines, six bulldozers and six water tenders arrived to work the overnight shift. More resources have been ordered for today's dayshift. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management have been working with firefighters to identify homes that are threatened. They have issued evacuation notices and warnings that can be found at "RVEM.org." An evacuation shelter is currently open at Jacksonville Elementary School. Small pets can be taken there while large livestock can be taken to the Jackson County Expo Park. Upper Applegate Road remains closed to the public, but local residents will be let in. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.