‘Stouts Fire’ in Milo area up to 600 acres; homes evacuated

Level 3 (Go) evacuations were in place for residents in the Azalea area from Upper Cow Creek to Snow Creek East, but fire officials announced Sunday afternoon that the evacuation level was dropped to 2 for these areas.

Today’s weather forecast -afternoon winds, temperatures near 95, low humidity and a chance of thunderstorms – will make for very active fire behavior and may hamper efforts to slow the fire’s advance.

More than 800 firefighters are now battling the fire, compared to 450 on Friday.

The Oregon Department of Forestry reports the fire burning in forestlands about 16 miles east of Canyonville in Douglas County has forced the evacuation of at least three dozen homes.

The ODF said that the drought has created unusually dry forests that are prone to fast-spreading fires and that between yesterday and last night night the Stouts Fire grew 2,000 acres.

While the city or structural firefighters work with homeowners to help prevent harm to their homes if the fire reaches them, the wildland firefighters will continue working to contain the fire and keep it from spreading to the neighborhoods.

“The Douglas Forest Protective Association and the Umpqua National Forest gave us specific direction to suppress the fire and be safe”, said OSFM Green Team’s Incident Commander Ted Kunze. Wildland firefighters continue building control lines between the fire and the community, but the terrain is steep and the heavy fuel load is proving hard, so contingency plans to protect the community are being developed.

Evacuations Levels 1 to 2 have been issued which affect 188 homes.

“The evacuations around Milo have been reduced from a Level 3 to a Level 2”.

Residents choosing to leave could go to a Red Cross crisis shelter at Canyonville Elementary School.

Another public meeting is being held at the Milo Fire Department Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

Gov. Kate Brown declared a Conflagration Act Thursday to bring more personnel to the scene.