Motorcyclist Airlifted; Two Fires Responded to in Josephine County
Rural Metro crews handle crash rescue, brush fire, and chicken coop blaze in separate incidents
Firefighters responded to a chicken coop fire on Foothill Boulevard in the Mid Rogue Fire District after a heat lamp ignited the structure. The coop was fully involved on arrival, and eight baby chickens did not survive. (Photos courtesy of Rural Metro Fire)
JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — Emergency crews responded to multiple incidents across the Mid Rogue Fire District over the weekend, including a motorcycle crash that required an airlift and two separate fires that prompted safety reminders from firefighters.
On Sunday, March 29, at approximately 6:08 p.m., Rural Metro Fire responded to a motorcycle crash in the area of Peavine Road near Rich Gulch in Galice. According to responders, the injured rider experienced poor cell phone reception while attempting to contact Grants Pass 911. To alert others in the party, the rider discharged a firearm, which helped draw attention to the situation.
Rescue crews from Rural Metro Fire and AMR-Josephine County located the injured motorcyclist in a ravine, extracted the patient, and transported them to a landing zone at Morrisons Rogue River Lodge. Mercy Flights then airlifted the rider to a Medford-area trauma hospital. The extent of injuries was not released.
In a separate series of incidents on Saturday, March 28, firefighters responded to two fires on opposite ends of the Mid Rogue Fire District.
At approximately 5:15 p.m., an unattended open burn spread to about half an acre of brush and trees in the 200 block of Becky Springs Drive. Passersby traveling on Fish Hatchery Road near Southside Road reported flames on a steep hillside. Rural Metro Fire crews from the Williams Highway and Wilderville stations quickly contained the fire.
Just over 20 minutes later, at 5:39 p.m., a heat lamp ignited a chicken coop in the 4000 block of Foothill Boulevard. Grants Pass Fire Engine 7308 reported the structure fully involved upon arrival, with flames spreading to a nearby tree. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but eight baby chickens did not survive.
Fire officials issued safety reminders following the incidents, urging residents to remain in attendance when conducting debris burns, clear barriers to bare dirt around burn piles, and ensure heat lamps used for livestock are properly secured and kept away from flammable materials. Officials also suggested considering safer alternatives such as brooder heating plates or approved livestock-safe lighting.
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