Crews keeping Deer Creek blaze in check; residents sift through remains of property

An 1,800-acre fire near Selma inched northeast Friday, consuming a fifth home and forcing more evacuations east of the rural community in Josephine County.

A rain of ash fell as fire trucks lumbered over the gravel road leading up to the home off Crooks Creek Road. Firefighters did not arrive in time to save the home but rushed to guard others.

By late afternoon Friday, firefighters had contained about 10 percent of the Deer Creek fire, but the total acreage remained the same, Oregon Department of Forestry officials reported.

"The good news is the fire is holding at 1,800 acres and is less than what we first estimated Thursday," said Kris Babbs, ODF public information officer.

On Thursday, four homes burned down along Deer Creek Road.

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Bonnie Lansdown, 68, and her caretaker, Larry Watkins, watched as their two-room house on Deer Creek Road went up in flames.

Lansdown lost all of her photographs and mementos.

"We just grabbed a few clothes and medications and got out of there," said Lansdown, whose previous home burned about 10 years ago in another wildfire.

She and Watkins plan to live in a trailer they pulled away from the fire until they can rebuild.

"I’m a survivor," Lansdown said. "I can make do with whatever."

Next door, firefighters were able to save the home of Lansdown’s grandson, Nathan Lansdown.

But he lost five vehicles, including a pickup truck. Its skeleton stood along the side of the driveway.

Joel and Margaret Buck’s home near the intersection of Deer Creek Road and Dryden Lane was also spared.

"We were up all night watering," Margaret Buck said. "We saw trees explode with spikes of fire. It was the scariest thing ever."

A voluntary evacuation was issued late Friday for homes along Davis Creek Road, while evacuation orders were lifted for Deer Creek and Crooks Creek roads.

More than 100 homes and 125 outbuildings remained threatened by the fire, ODF officials said.

An evacuation center was set up at Illinois Valley High School in Cave Junction.

About 800 more firefighters were called in Friday to help battle the fire, which ignited Thursday in a dry grassy area between Lake Shore Drive and Deer Creek Road. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, ODF officials said.

Nine helicopters ferried water from Lake Selmac to help extinguish the flames as they traveled through densely forested areas. Meanwhile, about 30 fire engines and 12 bulldozers worked on the ground to snuff out the flames. Officials were considering whether to continue the fight through the night.

"Firefighters are tracking down spot fires, trying to keep the fire from spreading north to Davis Creek," Babbs said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the use of federal funds Friday to help pay for fighting the blaze because of its proximity to Selma.

Some fire crews came from the Blossom fire near Agness.

Crews from Independence napped in front of their truck as they waited to be deployed to the fire.

"We got a call to come here at about 1:30 a.m.," said Miguel Rodriguez, owner of MR Contracting. "We only got two hours of sleep."

A heavy veil of smoke hung over Selma and surrounding areas north to Grants Pass and east to Medford, but air quality had not deteriorated to unhealthy levels, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4496 or e-mail pachen@mailtribune.com.