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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has reduced a previously issued Level 2 “BE SET!" evacuation notice put into place as a result of the Smith Fire burning within the Devil's Knob Complex Fires east of Tiller.
Effective Saturday, September 11, 2021, at 8:00 a.m., the Sheriff's Office has reduced the following homes from a Level 2 “BE SET” Evacuation Notice to a Level 1 “BE READY” Evacuation Advisory:
- All homes on South Umpqua Road, starting at Jackson Creek Road, east up to Dumont Creek Campground. This includes all homes and addresses between these two points.
- Terry Lane
- Johnnie Springs Road
- Lizotte Road
“Residents should be aware that the danger to the area has not fully been eliminated and they should continue to closely monitor the situation and be ready to leave should the danger increase,” Sgt. Brad O'Dell said.
When returning home or traveling through the area, motorists are asked to slow their speeds and be alert to hazards and firefighting activity.
Residents are encouraged to visit the interactive evacuation map at www.dcso.com/evacuations for current evacuation information.
Additionally, residents are encouraged to register to receive emergency alerts from the Sheriff's Office by registering at www.dcso.com/alerts.
Fire activity information for the Devil's Knob Complex can be obtained from:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/2021-Devils-Knob-Complex-112079071131008
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7771
Fire Information: (541) 900-6133 (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Email: 2021.DevilsKnob@firenet.gov
GLIDE, Ore. - The last remaining evacuation notice related to the Mystic Mountain Fire has been eliminated.
Effective at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 9, 2021, the Sheriff’s Office has lifted the Level 2 evacuation advisory for all homes on Mystic Mountain Lane. With this change, no evacuation notices remain related to the Mystic Mountain Fire.
Residents can opt in to receive emergency alerts based on their address by registering at www.dcso.com/alerts.
CANYONVILLE, Ore. - A Drain man was arrested and stolen firearms were recovered on Saturday following a theft investigation.
On Saturday, September 4, 2021, deputies began the investigation after receiving a report of a theft from a rental vehicle parked at a local business in the 100-block of Chief Miwaleta Lane in Canyonville. The caller reported two firearms and several thousand dollars’ worth of firearm accessories had been stolen from the vehicle.
Through their investigation, deputies discovered the theft occurred shortly before 1:30 am and developed a suspect identified as 24-year-old Charles Elroy Brabender of Drain.
As the investigation continued, deputies served a search warrant at a property associated with Brabender in the 600-block of Irving Drive in Myrtle Creek. During the search warrant execution all of the stolen firearms and associated items were recovered.
Brabender, who was arrested earlier in the day on unrelated charges, was arrested as a result of the successful investigation. He was lodged at the Douglas County Jail on the following charges:
- Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle
- Theft 1 x3
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm x2
MYSTIC MOUNTAIN FIRE UPDATE 9/8/2021 9:15 PM
GLIDE, Ore. - Fire crews made significant progress on the Mystic Mountain Fire this evening, allowing the Sheriff's Office to reduce or eliminate the previously issued evacuation notices.
- All homes on Mystic Mountain Road have been reduced to a Level 2 “BE SET” evacuation advisory.
- All homes on Little River Road starting at Mystic Mountain Road up to the Peel Store, including all homes located between these two points are no longer under an evacuation advisory.
An interactive evacuation map can be found at www.dcso.com/evacuations.
Little River Road has been re-opened to traffic, although the public is asked to avoid the area due to emergency resources working in the area.
Residents are urged to monitor the situation through official sources and media outlets.
The Sheriff's Office received support and assistance from the Search and Rescue, Oregon State Police, Douglas County Public Works and the American Red Cross.
GLIDE, Ore. - Fire crews continue to fight the Mystic Mountain Fire on Little River Road near Glide that broke out around 4:00 pm on September 8, 2021.
The Sheriff's Office has issued the following evacuation notices:
A Level 3 “GO!” evacuation notice has been issued for all homes on Mystic Mountain Road off of Little River.
A Level 2 “BE SET” evacuation advisory has been issued for all homes on Little River Road starting at Mystic Mountain Road up to the Peel Store. This includes all homes located between these two points.
An interactive evacuation map can be found at www.dcso.com/evacuations.
Little River Road is closed at Stanley Road to residents with valid identification only. The public is asked to avoid the area due to a significant amount of emergency resources working in the area.
At last report from DFPA, the Mystic Mountain Fire is estimated to be 20 acres in size and the Incident Commander is reporting good progress on containing the fire. A heavy aviation component consisting of five helicopters and a large air tanker are being used to slow the spread of the fire up the hillside while two bull dozers and multiple engine crews work to construct containment lines around the fire.
Residents are urged to monitor the situation through official sources and media outlets.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has upgraded evacuation notices as a result of the Smith Fire burning within the Devil's Knob Complex Fires.
Based on information provided to the Sheriff's Office from U.S. Forest Service Fire Managers, the following homes are now under a Level 3 “GO!” Evacuation Notice:
- All homes on Ash Valley Road
- All homes on South Umpqua Road starting at Dumont Creek Campground to the 28000 block of South Umpqua Road.
Level 3 “GO!” means: LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! Danger to your area is current or imminent and you should evacuate immediately. If you choose to ignore this advisement, you must understand that emergency services may not be able to assist you further. DO NOT delay leaving to gather any belongings or make efforts to protect your home or any structure. THIS WILL BE THE LAST NOTICE YOU RECEIVE.
Homeowners who evacuate are asked to email dcso.evacuations@co.douglas.or.us so additional resources and information may be provided.
Residents can opt in to receive emergency alerts based on their address by registering at www.dcso.com/alerts.
An interactive evacuation map can be found at www.dcso.com/evacuations.
Fire activity information can be found at the following locations:
Devils Knob Complex Fires:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/2021-Devils-Knob-Complex-112079071131008
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7771
Fire Information: (541) 900-6133 (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Email: 2021.DevilsKnob@firenet.gov
ROSEBURG, Ore. - A 40-year-old Roseburg man died Sunday night after he was struck by a vehicle near River Forks Market.
On Sunday, September 5, 2021, at 6:19 p.m., 9-1-1 dispatchers began receiving reports of a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident on Garden Valley Road near Fisher Road.
Deputies arrived on scene to learn a 2007 Hyundai Tiburon, driven by 38-year-old Brooke Nicole Willborn of Roseburg, had been traveling south on Garden Valley Road when a pedestrian, 40-year-old Mitchell Lee Bandy of Roseburg, stepped out in front of the vehicle and was struck. Witnesses at the scene stated Bandy had been looking down at his cellphone when he stepped out into the path of the vehicle.
Bandy was transported to Mercy Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Willborn is cooperating with law enforcement and the ongoing investigation. No arrests or citations have been made in the incident.
The Sheriff's Office was assisted by Douglas County Fire District #2, Umpqua Valley Ambulance, Douglas County Public Works and Kokua Towing.
YONCALLA, Ore. – A large scale criminal marijuana grow operating under the guise of a legal hemp operation has been shut down by law enforcement in Douglas County.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT) executed a search warrant in the 1000-block of Scotts Valley Road Wednesday, September 1, 2021. The warrant stemmed from an investigation into a large-scale black-market marijuana grow. Law enforcement became aware of the operation on tips from concerned citizens.
When law enforcement arrived approximately 30-50 workers began fleeing the location on foot. An individual identified as “the manager” of the operation, 44-year-old Jose Francisco Figueroa-Aguilar of Modesto, California, was ultimately arrested and lodged at the Douglas County Jail on charges of Unlawful Possession and Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana.
Deputies located multiple vehicles, tents and two RVs concealed under green houses and in the timber. The property was also found to be littered with garbage, fertilizer, containers and human waste; all of which were adjacent to Elk Creek.
Two large swimming pools were being utilized as water holding tanks being fed by water pumps from Elk Creek. The water pumps are required to be metered, but were not.
Approximately 150 greenhouses containing 49,152 marijuana plants were located on the property. Testing conducted on the marijuana throughout the grow revealed high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). There were no hemp plants located anywhere on the property. The street value of the marijuana located is estimated to be to $50,000,000.
Harvesting of the marijuana plants had begun, however it did not appear that any of it had been released into the community before the execution of the search warrant.
Due to the sheer size of the illegal operation, law enforcement spent two days conducting eradication and destruction of the marijuana plants. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be pending.
Douglas County, as well as multiple other Oregon counties are seeing a large number black-market marijuana grows which have been disguised as sanctioned hemp grows popping up in local communities. These operations are being financed and ran by organized crime enterprises. If you have concerns about a possible illegal marijuana operation in your community, contact the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team at (541) 440-4474.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by DINT, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), the Douglas County Water Master and the Douglas County Public Works Department.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - Detectives have arrested a third suspect in the murder of a Camas Valley man.
On Wednesday, September 1, 2021, deputies contacted 40-year-old Dustan Allan Conn of Roseburg at a business on Garden Valley Boulevard. Conn had been identified as a person of interest in the murder investigation of 41-year-old James Leroy Hood of Camas Valley. Detectives responded and spoke with Conn, who was later arrested and lodged at the Douglas County Jail for Murder in the Second Degree.
Two other suspects, 35-year-old Ashley Tyshanne Reynolds of Roseburg and 33-year-old William Levi McClure of Winston were previously arrested and charged in connection to the murder.
Douglas County Sheriff's Office Detectives began investigating Hood’s disappearance on Monday, August 16, 2021 when family members reported not hearing from him since March 11, 2021.
Detectives conducted interviews and learned that Hood had been murdered in a barn on Raleigh Drive and that his body remained on the property. Detectives obtained a search warrant for a property located in the 500-block of Raleigh Drive near Winston on August 17, 2021 and located a body believed to be that of Hood.
The Douglas County Major Crimes Team continues the investigation. The team consists of detectives from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Roseburg Police Department, Oregon State Police, and members of the Douglas County District Attorney's Office.
Case #21-3627
UPDATE 08/30/2021 1:00 PM
GLENDALE, Ore. - The search for a missing Ashland, Oreogn man has come to a close after searchers found his body on Saturday.
Search and Rescue crews continued their search for Trevor Watson on Saturday, August 30, 2021, searching a larger area where he was last seen. Crews located Watson's body in a creek bed around 10:00 a.m. The Douglas County Medical Examiner's Office is conducting a death investigation, although foul play is not suspected at this time.
The Sheriff's Office would like to thank the public for their assistance in locating Trevor.
No further information is expected to be released.
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ORIGINAL RELEASE 08/25/2021 8:00 PM
GLENDALE, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in locating a missing Ashland man.
On Sunday, August 22, 2021, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office took a missing person report from the family of 36-year-old Trevor E. Watson of Ashland. Watson had left a residence in the 300-block of Fir Point Lane in Glendale on foot and hasn't been in contact with family since. He left behind his cellphone and wallet.
Deputies and Search and Rescue volunteers have been unable to locate Watson and are asking anyone who may have information as to Watson's whereabouts to contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at (541) 440-4471.
Watson is described as a white male adult standing at 5'8" tall weighing 135 pounds. He has light brown hair and light brown eyes.
Case #21-3792
TILLER, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, working in conjunction with Devil's Knob Complex Fire Managers, is lifting the Level 3 "GO!" evacuation advisory previously put into place by the Big Hamlin Fire within the Devil's Knob Complex.
Effective Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 12:01 am, the following residents are no longer under an official evacuation advisory:
All homes located on Beaver Creek Road (Forest Service Road #31).
Residents are reminded to continue monitoring the situation as fires burn in other parts of the forest and to opt in to receive emergency alerts based on their address by registering at www.dcso.com/alerts.
An interactive evacuation map at www.dcso.com/evacuations allows residents to enter a specific address to determine what level they may be in.
Fire activity information can be found at the following:
Devils Knob Complex Fires:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/2021-Devils-Knob-Complex-112079071131008
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7771
Fire Information: (541) 900-6133 (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Email: 2021.DevilsKnob@firenet.gov
Glide/Idleyld Park, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has been notified by Lumen Technologies (formerly CenturyLink) of a service disruption which is impacting residents in the Glide/Idleyld Park communities. The cause of the outage is under investigation. The service disruption may affect the ability for residents in the area to reach 9-1-1 on a Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink) landline.
Residents may be able to get through to emergency services on a cellular telephone, if they have service. The Glide Fire Department is not staffed, but has an emergency call box at the front entrance that will connect to the 9-1-1 dispatch center.
At this time, there is no estimated time of repair. Additional details will be released as they become available.
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - On Monday, August 16, 2021, Douglas County Sheriff's Office Detectives began investigating a missing person report. 41-year-old James Leroy Hood of Camas Valley was reported missing by family members who last heard from him on March 11, 2021.
During interviews, detectives learned Hood had been murdered in a barn on Raleigh Drive and his body remained on the property. This information led investigators to apply for a search warrant for a property located in the 500-block of Raleigh Drive near Winston.
On August 17, 2021, members of the Douglas County Major Crimes Team served the search warrant and a body believed to be Hood was located. Additional evidence was collected at the crime scene to further support the initial information provided during interviews.
A second search warrant was served in the 500-block of Newton Creek Road as detectives continued their investigation.
On August 19, 2021, the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and concluded the deceased person was the victim of foul play and died of homicidal violence.
On Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 35-year-old Ashley Tyshanne Reynolds of Roseburg and 33-year-old William Levi McClure of Winston were arrested in connection to the homicide. Both had previously been arrested by detectives on unrelated charges and remained in custody at the Douglas County Jail.
Reynolds was lodged for First Degree Murder and McClure was lodged for Second Degree Murder.
The Major Crimes Team is continuing the investigation. The team consists of detectives from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Roseburg Police Department, Oregon State Police, and members of the Douglas County District Attorney's Office.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at (541) 440-4458 or email dcso.pio@co.douglas.or.us
Case #21-3627
OAKLAND, Ore. - A Sutherlin man died Thursday afternoon in a single vehicle crash in the 2100-block of Driver Valley Road.
On Thursday, August 19, 2021, at approximately 2:45 p.m. 9-1-1 dispatchers received reports of a single vehicle crash in the 2100-block of Driver Valley Road. The Sheriff's Office along with fire and EMS personnel were dispatched to the scene.
Deputies arrived to discover a white 1995 Ford F250 pickup with one occupant that had crashed while traveling eastbound on Driver Valley Road. The driver failed to negotiate a corner before crashing. The driver, 43-year-old Austin Wayne Ward of Sutherlin was pronounced deceased at the scene. Ward was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash.
The investigation determined speed to be a contributing factor.
The Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Oakland Fire Department, Umpqua Valley Ambulance and Roseburg Towing.
Case #21-3749