Published Thursday, June 27, 2024, 2145 PT

BOLO (Be on the Lookout) for stolen Firefighter Gear from USFS trucks parked in a hotel overnight. Read the bottom of this post for more information. Photo Credit: Grants Pass Police Department.

The wildfire started on June 20, 2024, on private land and about four (4) miles south of Ruch, Oregon. The cause has been determined to be human intervention but officials are not releasing what that source is

Fire behavior has been observed as moderate with flanking, backing, and creeping. A total of 937 acres of timber and grass have been burned. 15% in mop-up operations.

There is a total number of 200 fire personnel on the Fireline tonight along with seven (7)-20-person hand crews, two (2) engines, two (2) dozers, and four (4) water tenders. This is a reduction from earlier in the day operations, where there were 505 total personnel along with 22 crews, six (6) engines, and four (4) crews.

Evacuations are in effect. See details on www.swofire.com.

Cost-to-date: 4.7 Million Dollars.

The Grants Pass Police Department is looking for help from the public with any tips or information leading to the recovery of stolen firefighting equipment and the arrest of the suspect(s) who took the much-needed fire equipment fighting this and other wildfires.

Photo Credit: Grants Pass Police Department

“Equipment stolen from apparatus on Grants Pass while working on the fire Grants Pass, Ore.

Grants Pass Police officers were dispatched to the Holiday Inn on NE Agness Avenue this morning for a reported theft. It appears that thieves in the area have hit an all-time low by stealing firefighting equipment from US Forestry trucks parked overnight while firefighters finally got rest after fighting the Upper Applegate Fire.

The thieves took thousands of dollars of Hotshot backpacks, emergency fire shelters, headlamps, compasses, firing sticks, signal mirrors, first aid kits, water bottles, and two Stihl chainsaws. This equipment was used to protect the lives of firefighters and residents of our community.

Anyone having information regarding the whereabouts of this stolen equipment, or the identity of the thieves is asked to call the Grants Pass Police Department at 541-450-6260 and reference case #24-23189

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Posted: 6/27/2024 2145 PT #ORwildfires#UpperApplegateFire