Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1922-07-12
BLAZE STARTED
IN FERN VALLEY.
SWEPT SOUTH.
SEVERAL RANCHES MADE SAFE
FROM FLAMES BY BACK
FIRING
Damage Reported TO be CompaIa-
lively Light, Although Escape of
Grain Crops Is Regarded as Al
most Miraculous.

In the neighborhood Of $4,000
acres of grass land in the hills north
east Of Talent and Phoenix, were
burned over yesterday. All efforts
to stop the blaze were of no avail un-
til late last night when it was halted
only few miles from Ashland.
The fire started in Fern Valley,
eight miles north of Phoenix, and
swept down the valley toward the
town at speed equal to galloping
horse. On reaching the crest of the
hill across Bear creek from Phoenix
the fire swung to the left and raced
along the side hills towards a,ent.
Owing to the irrigation bitches in
the valley near the stream, which
formed barriers of green grass, the
fire stayed we'll upon the hillsides.
The large pasture of Sylvester Pat
terson, north of Talent, was almost
completely burned over, the flames
creeping up to the rear of the Sun
crest orchards, burning a good deal
of the fence along the boundary of
the orchards.
The fire then burned across the
hills to the edge of the l.. H. Gallatin
ranch, where it seemed to turn to-
wards the higher ground again. The
Louis Werth ranch, which is near
the Gallatin place, was endangered
for a while, the fire making rapid
progress towards the ranch buildings
about $3.50 o'clock, and back fire
was set to save the bui dings. This
strategy saved the buildings by the
narowest of margins, as the flames
were within Is feet of one of the
large barns on the place before they
were stopped. With the blaze shoot
ing up 10 or Is feet high at times,
1t was thought the barn would surely
be lost despite the hereculean efforts
of the fire fighters.
Many OF the men engaged in bat
tling the flames stayed on the job
until after 10 o'clock without stop
ping to eat. At 10 o'clock the fire
appeared to be under control and
the men took time for supper, but
most of them returned and kept
an outlook until well towards morn
ing when it was definitely known
that any danger was past.
Reports from the burned-oyer area
today are that except for few
smouldering stumps and fallen trees,
the fire is entirely extingulshed.
1t is not known here just how
much damage was done in the Fern
Valley district, but it is thought to
have been light. Information at
hand now fails to show any other
damage than the burning of few
small isolated shacks. Mr.. Werth
and Mr.. Gallatin consider themselves
very fortunate that their grain was
untouched, although the fire came
to the edge of the fields. There is
a good deal of grain on the sidehills
below Talent, but according to report
none of it was injured.
1t is said the fire was started by
children playing with matches. 1t
gained headway so rapidly that the
ranchers of Fern Valley were help
less to stop it. and they restricted
their efforts to keeping it out of
the heavily timbered mountains. 1T
is thought this effort was successful.
The point where the fire started
is about ~ miles from the Werth
ranch where 1t was finally brought
under control. The territory burned
over varied in width from five to ten
miles.