Hundreds of lightning strikes over the weekend sparked many small fires in wilderness areas between coastal areas and the Medford valley.
The National Weather Service released lightning counts for their forecast area. For historical context, the amount of cloud to ground lightning for our 9-county forecast area (~1900 strikes since Sunday morning) is in the top 10 percent for daily lightning events for mid-July since 1981.
One of the most significant fires in these areas is the Silver Creek Fire near Schlesinger Reservoir that had Oregon Department of Forestry firefighters assisting local cooperators and a Type 1 helicopter working to good progress on Sunday despite temperatures that reached into the 90s.
As of 10:00 pm Sunday night, current Level 3 evacuations implemented earlier in the day remained overnight. Fire crews had made significant progress on the Sterling Creek Fire and officials did not expect further evacuations. Nearby residents should remain vigilant for updates.
Latest reports as of late Sunday evening stated that the fire, burning in dense forest in a remote part of Silver Falls State Park had had containment trails around 75 percent of the fire built by firefighters.
About 125 personnel are engaged on the fire. There have been no reported injuries.
Firefighters are battling rough terrain in steep slopes and heavy timber as they engage in direct aggressive attack on the fire.
No injuries or facility damages have been reported, cause is still under investigation.
Silver Falls State Park remains open, with a few trails and the Howard Creek horse camp closed for safety and incident command staging. Oregon State Parks recommend visitors check their website for closures prior to heading out.
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