Local News

Approximately 130 lightning strikes hit lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry on the eastern side of Jackson County last night. Due to the active thunder cells, ODF could only put up a reconnaissance flight for a short time just before dark in the Prospect area. The air attack platform was able to spot a few small fires on US Forest Service land. ODF sent resources to investigate two reported fires close to private land. One of them -- the Sunshine Fire -- could not be found. The Highway 140 Mile Marker 21 Fire was located after a couple of hours of hiking. Crews estimated it was a half-acre on a steep slope with the majority of the fire being a large hazardous tree. Tree fallers were headed out to fall it and allow firefighters to extinguish the blaze. A new recon flight was conducted this morning across the entire affected strike area. Lightning fires typically begin to grow in warmer conditions, so numerous flights will be made throughout the day as temperatures heat up. ODF Detection Center staff will also be scanning these areas and engines will be in their patrol areas to allow for a fast response. All days off have been canceled to ensure all resources are available. The National Weather Service in Medford has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for much of Jackson and Josephine counties that ends at 8 p.m. today as well as a Red Flag Warning for the affected area from 1 to 8 p.m., with more thunderstorms in the forecast. Hot, gusty winds that come with these storms can limit ODF's ability to use aircraft and naturally increase fire behavior. Help prevent new fires from starting -- especially while firefighters are engaged on incidents caused by lightning that could not have been prevented.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for stealing a bicycle off the front porch of an apartment over the weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Ryan Kelly Hale for the incident in the 900-block of SE 8th Street on Saturday at 6:25 p.m.. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 after she interrupted a theft in progress of a bicycle from the porch of her apartment. Officers attempting to locate the suspect in the area stopped Hale in the 300-block of East Park Street as he matched the description of the suspect and the bike he was riding also matched the description. Hale admitted that he had taken the bike, that it did not belong to him and that he heard someone call out to him to stop. He was placed into custody and the stolen bike was recovered. Hale was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and he was being held without bail. A voice mail was left for his Jackson County corrections officer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on five outstanding warrants for drug possession during a patrol check at a downtown resting site late last week. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 20-year-old Justis Ivan Cory at the NW 6th & A Street homeless encampment on Friday afternoon. Police said they observed Cory and knew that he was wanted on five Grants Pass warrants -- all for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. A consent search found him to be in possession of a white crystal substance that tested positive as meth. It was seized for destruction. Cory was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants plus a new charge of Meth Possession. He was being held on $125,000 bail. He was also excluded from the resting site for 30 days.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for crashing into another vehicle outside a south-city bar before fleeing the scene early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident at the 238 Bar in the 1600-block of Williams Highway on Sunday around 1:30 a.m.. Police said an investigation revealed that 22-year-old Esai Angel Alvarez became intoxicated at the bar and was cut off. They said he snuck back in, got another beer and was kicked out. He broke a bottle in the parking lot, was confronted by staff and fled in his Lexus sport utility vehicle, but not before striking a Honda Accord belonging to a bartender. Damage was estimated to be more than $1,000. Officers searched for Alvarez at his residence on SE 8th Street, but he was not there. He was eventually located in the 1200-block of River Lane and placed into custody. Alvarez was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was also trespassed from the bar.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend disturbance at Three Rivers Medical Center. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the incident at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Saturday shortly before midnight. Police said hospital security called 9-1-1 to report an impaired male subject driving on the property. They said he argued with an unidentified woman before walking away with her while still arguing. He returned a few minutes later and was contacted by security. Officers arrived on scene, contacted 38-year-old Tyler Neal Wylie and found him to be clearly impaired by alcohol. He refused to participate in field sobriety tests or to provide a breath sample, so a search warrant was obtained and he was taken inside the medical facility for a legal blood draw that documented his impairment. Wylie was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after responding to weekend traffic complaints on Redwood Highway in Cave Junction. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Ford F-350 pickup driven by 61-year-old Andrew Lawrence Hannon of Yreka, California, near milepost 31 of US Highway 199 on Saturday at 5:25 p.m.. Troopers said Hannon was reported to be swerving and unable to maintain his travel lane on the highway. Upon contact, he displayed signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was taken to the Cave Junction Substation where he provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. Hannon was subsequently transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he was cited to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. His pickup was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed two men for stealing mail and drug possession following an early morning traffic stop late last week. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Honda driven by 35-year-old Aaron William Fisher near the corner of NE D and Anderson streets on Friday at 4:58 a.m.. Police said they stopped Fisher for traffic violations and they observed several pieces of burnt tinfoil with drug residue at his feet and near the center console. They also spotted glassware and tubing consistent with methamphetamine use at the feet of the backseat passenger -- 44-year-old Trevor David Bowen. Fisher and Bowen were detained. During a search of the car, officers located open and unopened stolen mail belonging to Si Casa Flores, Code 4 Taphouse, Hill Management and Squatch's Garage. Also found were baggies of meth, fentanyl, meth pipes and smoking devices for fentanyl. All were seized as evidence. Fisher was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for four felony counts of Mail Theft and single misdemeanor counts of Meth and Fentanyl Possession. Bowen was jailed for felony counts of Meth and Fentanyl Possession. Both men were held without bail pending their arraignments today in Josephine County Circuit Court.

 

Thunderstorms in eastern Jackson County ignited at least two wildfires late yesterday, but four were reported to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Early Sunday evening, ODF started tracking the thunderstorm while monitoring potential lightning strike areas. Most of the activity was in Jackson County near Lake Creek and Prospect. By 8:40 p.m., ODF crews were responding to four reports of fire after lightning strikes. One was confirmed by an air attack plane during a reconnaissance flight. In a 9:40 p.m. update, ODF reported the Highway 140 Mile Marker 21 Fire was a single tree on fire and firefighters were hiking in. The Sunshine Creek Fire was located on Forest Service land within 1/8th of a mile of ODF-protected land. Due to limited access, firefighters were hiking in. Crews were unable to locate reported fires near Grizzly Peak east of Ashland and on the hills around Greensprings. They were continuing to investigate. New reports of fire will be investigated this morning. Rain that came with the storms will likely keep fires from growing until the sun rises and heat naturally increases fire behavior. A reconnaissance flight has been scheduled and crews will be ready to respond to any new reports of fire.

 

Multiple small fires along Interstate 5 from Mount Sexton to Grants Pass yesterday prompted an aggressive response from local firefighting agencies. On Sunday around 2:15 p.m., the Oregon Department of Forestry, Rural Metro Fire Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue were dispatched to fires along the southbound lanes of I-5 between mileposts 68 and 58. ODF reported numerous resources were ordered including their Type 2 helicopter out of Grants Pass. An aggressive initial attack was mounted on the fires and they were fully contained by 3 p.m.. Crews continued to work on the fires until they were in fully-controlled status. The largest was just under 1/10th of an acre. ODF is handling the investigation into the cause of the fires although officials believe it is likely vehicle-related.