Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Fire in Ashland, Oregon closes Interstate 5 at border; truckers abandoning semis

 A vegetation fire that was spreading north from Ashland in southern Oregon on Tuesday afternoon caused the closure of Interstate 5 as some truckers abandoned their semis on the freeway. ... At least one Ashland neighborhood was under an evacuation notice, and freeway traffic was stopped from south Ashland to south Medford.2 hours ago

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53 mins ago - AshlandOR. | Mount Shasta Herald | 1h. Fire in AshlandOregon closes Interstate 5 at bordertruckers abandoning semis. A vegetation fire that was spreading ...

Fire in Ashland, Oregon closes Interstate 5 at border; truckers abandoning semis

Mike Chapman
Redding Record Searchlight

A vegetation fire that was spreading north from Ashland in southern Oregon on Tuesday afternoon caused the closure of Interstate 5 as some truckers abandoned their semis on the freeway.

Drivers heading north on I-5 were being turned back at the California border due to the fire in Jackson County, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

At least one Ashland neighborhood was under an evacuation notice, and freeway traffic was stopped from south Ashland to south Medford. I-5 is the main north-south freeway route along the West Coast.

What we know:Wind, power outages, smoke, Elkhorn and other North State fires

Photo from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows heavy smoke in the Ashland, Oregon, area on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Northbound I-5 was closed at Exit 14 in Phoenix and southbound I-5 SB was closed at Exit 35 in Central Point due to wildfire.

California fire tracker:Map traces current fires burning across state in real-time

City of Ashland officials said evacuations within the city limits were not necessary as of early afternoon Tuesday.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials were asking truckers on social media to let them know if they abandoned their semis on I-5 otherwise their trucks were going to be towed.

Gusty winds and hot temperatures, just like in California, are contributing to fires burning elsewhere in Oregon and Washington 

"Wildfire activity has closed highways throughout the state," the Oregon Department of Forestry said Tuesday afternoon.

Willamette National Forest officials said they've shut down all recreation areas to visitors due to the extreme fire threat, closing campgrounds, day-use areas, trails, boat ramps and more. 

The Siskiyou Daily News contributed to this report.

Mike Chapman is a reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Follow him on Twitter @mikechapman_RSSubscribe today!



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