Fire threatening over 7,000 structures in southwest Oregon

OREGON - The Rum Creek Fire in remote southwest Oregon has burned nearly 18.75 square miles is threatening thousands of homes and is only about 1% contained.

As of Tuesday morning, the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center said 5,035 homes and more than 2,600 other structures were at risk, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Officials have said the fire has destroyed one home and two structures.

High temperatures and shifting winds in the next several days are expected to increase fire danger and cause the blaze to become more active, officials said.

Mandatory evacuations are in place for dozens of homes near the towns of Rand and Galice. Lower level evacuations are in effect for some surrounding areas.

Heavy smoke kept temperatures down and helped increase humidity levels, so fire activity slowed on Monday, the update said. The smoke also curtailed air operations and the fire grew by nearly 3.1 square miles.

More than 1,300 firefighters are working the blaze with additional personnel arriving. Crews from California are working with the Oregon State Fire Marshall on structure protection, including areas east of the fire, where it is most active, officials said.

One firefighter was killed one day after the fire began, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Shortly after 4 p.m. on Aug. 18, officials learned that a firefighter had been critically injured after being struck by a tree while working to extinguish the Rum Creek Fire.

The firefighter, who was identified as 25-year-old Logan Taylor, was flown to a hospital to be treated, but later died.

An air quality advisory has been issued for the area with the worst rating possible — hazardous — in Grants Pass, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.