Stands of damaged trees can be seen north of the Rogue River, visible at lower left. The impacts came from the Moon Complex wildfires, which burned 19,520 acres in the Wild Section of the Rogue in September and October 2025. A team of scientists at the U.S. Forest Service found the complex damaged soil to a degree that was about on par with other major Southern Oregon wildfires since 2002. The damage can lead to soil erosion in the steep canyon.
By Chrissy Ewald of the Daily Courier
Initial reports show the Moon Complex Fire, which burned over 19,000 acres along the Lower Rogue River last year, damaged the soil about on par with other major Southern Oregon wildfires in recent years.
The Moon Complex started as several separate fires, all sparked by lightning on Sept. 3. Five of the fires fully merged together on Sept. 26 and burned a total of 19,520 acres before firefighters contained the complex by Oct. 27.
North Valley senior starting pitcher Abby Smithwick delivers a pitch during Wednesday afternoon’s game against Lakeview in Merlin. Smithwick finished with six strikeouts and allowed just one run on two hits in the Knights’ win.
Daily Courier
North Valley scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and senior Abby Smithwick pitched a two-hitter as the sixth-ranked Knights opened District 7 play Wednesday with a 6-1 win over Lakeview in Merlin.
The Honkers (4-6, 0-1) broke a scoreless tie with a run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Knights’ bats woke up after that.
A Jackson County jury on Tuesday convicted a man accused of fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run collision that seriously injured a woman walking a horse in the Evans Valley area last year.
Jason Allen Baker, 41, of Wimer, also was convicted at trial of several other charges as well as aggravating factors, and was taken into custody pending sentencing.
The case stemmed from a collision on Jan. 26, 2025, on Queens Branch Road, about 6 miles north of the city of Rogue River.
Violinist Livia Sohn joins the Rogue Valley Symphony in three concerts this weekend. Sohn is premiering a new concerto for violin and orchestra co-commissioned by the symphony and Sohn from Paul Wiancko.
Whether you're about to head out on a road trip or just want to see what the weather's like in the mountains, thedailycourier.com's Trip Check page is for you. Check out the latest pictures from Webcams throughout our region, all on one page that we've custom designed for Southern Oregonians, using Oregon Department of Transportation cameras.
Click here to see the Webcams
Become a Member
Manage Your Account
Get Home Delivery
