05/29/2026
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ | ๐/๐๐/๐๐๐๐
On May 25, 2026 at 2:32 PM, a fire was reported at Hilton Landscape Supply on Blackwell Road in Central Point. What was initially reported as possible smoke from a mulch pile was quickly confirmed to be an active fire. Strong winds, with gusts exceeding 50 mph, accelerated the spread to other nearby mulch piles, stacked lumber, and surrounding landscaping materials. Fire crews responded within minutes, but high wind conditions caused flames to spread horizontally and move fast across the industrial yard area of Hilton.
At 3:05 PM, a 2nd alarm was called due to rapid fire growth, and at 4:04 PM, the incident was upgraded to a 3rd alarm as resources continued to be added. Around 3:25 PM, the fire crossed Tolo Rd, ignited a power pole and caused downed lines, and then moved into grass fields between Tolo Road and the eastern portion of Blackwell Road, prompting road closures and evacuation alerts for nearby homes. Fire crews, along with privately owned heavy equipment operators, were able to stop the forward progress around 5:30 PM. The winds did not subside until 7:00 PM that evening. Units on scene continued mopโup for several days due to deep seated heat in mulch, vegetation, and remaining materials near the origin. The fire originated on land protected by Fire District 3 and then subsequently burned into area also protected by ODF Southwest Oregon District. The incident was jointly managed by both agencies, in coordination with Jackson County Sheriff Oregon and Jackson County Emergency Management.
๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐: The cause of the fire is determined to be accidental. Ignition was due to a natural phenomenon of compressed materials exacerbated by extreme high winds. Spontaneous combustion.
This phenomenon is called biological microbial thermogenesis, where microorganisms generate heat as they break down organic material. In tightly packed vegetation piles, this heat can build until chemical oxidation takes over, causing the material to char and smolder. If fresh oxygen is suddenly introduced, such as when the pile shifts due to high winds, the superheated gases and charred material can rapidly ignite, transitioning from smoldering to open flame.
Investigators have determined that the fire started from spontaneous heating within a large mulch pile at the ignition source. Heat built up inside the pile faster than it could escape, eventually leading to ignition. Early video shows smoke developing within the pile before flames appeared. Strong winds then drove flames horizontally, allowing the fire to spread rapidly from the original pile to nearby mulch, BCI joists (I-joists), and other fuels, essentially jumping from one fuel source to the next as embers were carried by high winds across the area and beyond Tolo Road, into the grass and fields.
๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ:
โข No pallets were involved in the Hilton yard area of the fire. BCI joists being stored at the facility may have appeared similar to pallets in photos.
โข A green metal container located near the ignition point was not involved in the fire, nor was it the source of the ignition.
This incident highlights how quickly wind-driven fires can escalate and how embers can travel long distances. It also reinforces the importance of defensible space and how creating areas with reduced fuels help limit rapid spread of a fire.
FD3 celebrates the cooperative partnership we have always enjoyed with our contractors and privately owned resources. During the initial response, our efforts were bolstered by seven privately owned water tenders as well as a grader from CRR (Central Rock and Redi-Mix) who put in a containment line on the south edge of the fire. We want to specifically acknowledge the Hilton family and their commitment to bringing the necessary strength to seeing the extinguishment through. While our resources remained on scene flowing water, their personnel remained alongside operating the heavy equipment. Unfortunate incidents like this happen. FD3 and Hilton will use this experience to bolster safety measures and create enhanced fire safety measures across their operation.
Fire District 3 also has numerous programs for homeowners to take advantage of preparing their own property to be resilient against wildfires. Visit our website to learn more about Risk Reduction at www.jcfd3or.gov
The image included with this post shows the fire perimeter in red, with the Hilton yard area on the west (left) side and the grass field on the east (right) side. The total combined burn area is 50 acres.
Thank you again to all responders and community members who helped protect the area and bring this fire under control.
