The fire agency serving Bethany, Cedar Mill, and Oak Hills headed south Thursday, July 16, to battle a wildfire that has scorched more than 11,500 acres near Medford and forced evacuations in Jackson County.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue joined a Washington County strike team deploying to the East Evans Creek Road Fire, alongside crews from Hillsboro Fire & Rescue and the Banks Fire District, the Beaverton Valley Times reported. Firefighters from Gresham, the Port of Portland, and Cannon Beach are also part of the deployment.

The fire started Friday, July 10, and reached an estimated 11,551 acres by Thursday morning, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. It remained just 5% contained, with more than 1,500 personnel assigned to the response.

Areas near East Evans Creek Road were under Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation orders on Thursday, while surrounding Jackson County communities faced Level 1 and Level 2 orders.

Named crews rolling south

The Banks Fire District deployed Engine 15 on Thursday as part of the Washington County Conflagration Group. The crew included Lt. Julie Kemper, engineer Justin Wammack, shift leader Talys Hendrickson, and firefighter Rayn Coffman.

Hillsboro Fire & Rescue sent a Type 1 engine staffed by a lieutenant, engineer, and two firefighters, plus a captain assigned to the Oregon State Fire Marshal Incident Management Team.

The Thursday strike team will join a Yamhill County task force that already included TVF&R personnel assisting with the East Evans Creek Fire.

Burn ban remains in effect

The deployment comes as wildfire season stretches local resources. TVF&R, Hillsboro Fire, and Banks Fire District are also supporting fires near Baker City and in Umatilla County.

TVF&R's High-Fire Danger Burn Ban, enacted Saturday, June 13, remains in effect across its entire jurisdiction, including Bethany, Cedar Mill, Oak Hills, and West Haven-Sylvan.

All backyard burning, agricultural burning, and land-clearing fires are prohibited. Small cooking fires, fire pits, and barbecue grills are still allowed.

TVF&R staffed additional wildland response units when the ban took effect to maintain local fire response capabilities. No timeline for the deployed crews' return has been announced.