Page 75 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2021

Rigaud shares his experience. “You’re mak-
ing decisions based on what’s the most viable
structure. It was growing so fast.” As the fire
burned horizontally past them, they had to
make decisions based on the big picture. “It felt
very helpless. We were doing what we could,
but we didn’t have enough people to fight the If Not Now,
fire effectively. There were moments, though,
that reminded us why we were there. We made
a stand at an apartment complex in Talent [with Then When?
almost 200 units], and it’s still there. Those small
victories keep you going—being able to effect a It’s just the right time to own
difference somewhere, even though we weren’t
able to do it on a broader scale. We drove past a piece of Ashland’s premier
structures that were on fire, and that’s against 55+ community.
the nature of firefighters.”

By eight or nine hours in, they were starting to
battle fatigue. They had been breathing smoke
for far too long and had small burns on their
necks from embers. Knowing there would be a
lot of firefighting still ahead, Rigaud observed
that day, “This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

Winds usually die down at night, but at mid-
night they still blew at 30 mph. The goal then
shifted, for by then the fire threatened Medford.
Rigaud and his crew battled through the night,
a crucial component in taking a stand. They
held the perimeter at Voorhies and South Stage
Roads. Had the fire jumped the road, it would
have roared into Medford and headed toward
Jacksonville.

After 24 hours, they returned to their station to
eat and shower, only to be reassigned. Time off
was not an option.

“You’re hearing this from two guys in the fight,”
Lawless concluded. “But if you go to any other
agency—fire, police, EMS, public works—any
folks who were frontline workers in this, they A 55+ Community
will tell you the exact same story.”

At the same time, the South Obenchain wild-
fire sparked, eventually threatening Shady Cove
and Butte Falls and calling for their evacuation.
Residents within Eagle Point city limits sat on
edge, belongings by the door or in their vehicles. 857 Mountain Meadows Dr.
The Forest Service, The Oregon Department Ashland, Oregon 97520
Forestry and their contractors fought the fire (800) 337-1301
with ground and air support (federal and state). www.mtmeadows.com
The rural communities reached out to neigh-
bors, offering to help evacuate livestock to the
Expo for temporary shelter. The initial fire, plus
hot spots and suppression, continued for about Voted America’s Best by National Council
on Senior’s Housing.
two weeks, eventually burning over 32,000
acres and destroying 153 structures.
winter 2021 | www.southernoregonmagazine.com 73