A fast-moving, wind-driven fire burned 10 acres, destroyed an outbuilding and damaged a home near Rogue River Saturday afternoon.

The fire, reported about 4:30 p.m., started along milepost 48 on Interstate 5 and swept through grass, brush and timber. The blaze triggered three alarms, mobilizing firefighters from both Jackson and Josephine counties.

Smoke slowed traffic on the freeway and North River Road was closed until nearly 10 p.m. while firefighters worked in the area.

The odor of smoke lingered in many parts of the Rogue Valley during the evening.

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Twenty-six fire engines, two dozers, a helicopter and two hand crews battled the blaze. Rogue River Fire Department, the Oregon Department of Forestry, Jackson County Fire District No. 3, Rural Metro Fire Department, Evans Valley Rural Fire Department and fire departments from the cities of Medford and Grants Pass City joined forces to stop the fire, said Jim Wolf, a fire-prevention planner with the forestry department.

The spreading fire jumped a road. It burned an outbuilding and damaged a home in the 4800 block of North River Road, said Rogue River Fire Chief Greg Winfrey.

Crews digging fireline by hand planned to work overnight and expected to have the blaze corralled by this morning, Wolf said.

They focused on building a line on slopes too steep for a dozer to work on safely, he said.

The fire’s cause is under investigation.

Fire danger in the Rogue Valley remains high, with fire season and its accompanying restrictions in place.

"Although the nights are getting longer and cooler, afternoon winds can quickly dry out the well-cured vegetation, creating potential for significant fire spread," Wolf said.