August 20, 2026

Good morning Douglas County! Here are today's updates live from the Roseburg Receiver Communications Center.

Fire Weather Forecast for southern Oregon and northern California National Weather Service Medford, OR | 541 AM PDT Thu Aug 20 2026

Isolated thunderstorms possible along Cascades north of Crater Lake Friday afternoon and evening.
Gusty winds and low RH likely continue through Saturday for portions of the eastside and northern California.
Expect typical summer conditions with dry weather across the area resulting in elevated to critical fire weather conditions through the weekend and into early next week. An offshore trough will impact the region today through Saturday, potentially resulting in critical conditions due to gusty winds/low RH with some thunder potential across northern areas on Friday. Critical to near critical conditions will continue into Saturday.

DFPA Protected Lands

US Forest Service - Umpqua National Forest

ROSEBURG, Ore. - A three-day street maintenance project is scheduled to begin next week in Roseburg, with crews planning to apply slurry seals to approximately 2.5 miles of city streets.

Work is expected to begin Tuesday, Aug. 25, and continue through Thursday, Aug. 27, weather permitting. Crews will generally work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The City of Roseburg said its Public Works Department has hired contractors to apply slurry seals to several street sections throughout the city. The treatment combines gravel aggregate with an asphalt emulsifier and is designed to help preserve existing pavement and extend the life of streets before more extensive repairs are needed.

“Public Works appreciates your patience with this project,” Roseburg Public Works Director Ryan Herinckx said. “Applying a slurry seal is a great way to keep good pavement in good condition and prevent expensive repairs in the future.”

Residents along affected streets will receive advance notice, and contractors will place signs approximately three days before each scheduled closure.

Vehicle owners must move their vehicles from streets scheduled for maintenance before work begins. The city said vehicles left within a work area after the scheduled start time will be towed outside the work zone at the owner’s expense.

Emergency responders will continue to have access to all affected areas. Other service providers, including waste collection companies and the U.S. Postal Service, have also been notified of the work schedule.

The newly renovated Brown Park will be closed to vehicle access on Thursday, Aug. 27, while nearby work is underway.

Tuesday, Aug. 25

• Terrace Drive, from Lane Avenue to Laurel Court
• Sharon Avenue, from house No. 946 to Lois Drive
• Dos Gatos Court, from Douglas Avenue to the cul-de-sac
• Malheur Avenue, from Lincoln Street to Jackson Street
• Motah Street, from Kline Street to Utah Drive
• Utah Drive, from Kline Street to Motah Street
• Killdeer Street, from Sharp Avenue to Oriole Drive
• Warren Court, from Harvard Avenue to the end of the street
• Francis Street, from Bertha Avenue to approximately 200 feet west

Wednesday, Aug. 26

• Parkwood Drive, from Laurel Court to Summit Drive
• Main Street, from Hamilton Avenue to Rice Avenue
• Atlanta Street, from Diamond Lake Boulevard to Odell Avenue
• Oakland Avenue, from Stephens Street to Vine Street
• Beacon Street, from Garden Valley Boulevard to the end of the street
• Utah Drive, from Luth Street to Kline Street
• Catherine Avenue, from Fairhaven Avenue to Nebo Street

Thursday, Aug. 27

• Main Street, from Rice Street to Orcutt Avenue
• Francis Street, from Harvard Avenue to approximately 200 feet west of Bertha Avenue
• Water Treatment Plant

The schedule is tentative and could change depending on weather or other conditions.

Project updates are available through the City of Roseburg Public Works Department’s projects page at www.roseburgor.gov and through the city’s official Facebook page.

ROSEBURG, Ore. - The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to eliminate a 25-year-old rule that limits road construction and timber harvest across millions of acres of national forest land, a change that could have significant implications for federal forests in Oregon and across the West.

The agency announced Tuesday that it has filed a proposed rule and draft Environmental Impact Statement to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule in its entirety. The American Forest Resource Council, or AFRC, is supporting the proposal, saying it would give local forest managers more flexibility to address wildfire risk, forest health and access.

The Roadless Rule currently applies to more than 44 million acres of the 193-million-acre National Forest System. More than 95 percent of the affected inventoried roadless areas are in 10 Western states, including Oregon, according to the Forest Service.

Despite its name, an "inventoried roadless area" is not necessarily wilderness, nor does the designation prohibit all human activity or forest management.

The 2001 rule primarily restricts construction and reconstruction of roads and limits commercial timber harvesting within areas identified by the Forest Service as roadless. Existing roads can still be maintained, and the rule includes exceptions allowing certain activities.

For example, the rule allows road construction when necessary to address an imminent threat from fire, flooding or another catastrophic event that could result in loss of life or property. It also allows some timber cutting for purposes such as improving habitat, restoring forest conditions and reducing the effects of uncharacteristic wildfire.

That distinction has become a central part of the debate over whether the nationwide rule should remain in place.

What Would Rescinding the Rule Actually Do?

Rescinding the Roadless Rule would not immediately authorize logging or the construction of new roads across the affected acreage.

Instead, the nationwide restrictions imposed by the 2001 rule would be removed, and decisions involving road construction, road reconstruction and timber harvest would generally return to the planning and project review processes used by individual national forests.

The Forest Service says future management decisions would still have to comply with existing forest plans, federal environmental laws, regulations and other applicable requirements. The agency says the purpose of the change is to give local forest managers more flexibility to consider conditions such as wildfire risk, watershed health and economic needs when evaluating projects.

In practical terms, rescission would make activities that are currently prohibited by the national Roadless Rule eligible to be considered in some areas. It would not mean those activities are automatically approved.

Other protections could also continue to limit what happens on a particular piece of land. Areas designated as wilderness, for example, are governed by separate federal law. Forest plan designations, wildlife protections and other land-management requirements would also remain in place.

The proposed rule does not apply to national forests in Colorado and Idaho because those states have separate roadless regulations.

Potential Impact in the Umpqua National Forest

The issue has a direct connection to southwest Oregon.

The Umpqua National Forest contains multiple inventoried roadless areas. A Forest Service inventory map using data supplied by the Umpqua National Forest in 2000 identified approximately 110,000 acres within inventoried roadless categories, including about 75,000 acres where road construction and reconstruction were not allowed and about 35,000 acres in another roadless category where those activities were allowed.

Because that inventory data dates to the original Roadless Rule process, it should not be viewed as a current calculation of exactly how many Umpqua National Forest acres would be affected by the proposed rescission.

Still, the Forest Service continues to identify roadless areas within the Umpqua National Forest, including areas used for recreation and wildlife habitat.

Supporters Point to Wildfire and Forest Health

AFRC President Travis Joseph said the conditions facing national forests have changed significantly since the rule was adopted.

“Calling an area roadless does not protect it from wildfire, insects or disease,” Joseph said.

AFRC argues that restrictions on road construction can make it more difficult to reach areas where thinning, fuels reduction or other forest-management work is needed. The organization also says roads can provide firefighters with access and locations from which to establish control lines during wildfires.

The Forest Service has made similar arguments in announcing its proposal. The agency says more than 40 percent of inventoried roadless areas have high or very high wildfire hazard potential, while about 5 percent have received hazardous fuels reduction treatments since 2014. It also says approximately 11.3 million acres of roadless lands are already near existing roads.

AFRC pointed to several large Oregon wildfires that have burned through roadless areas, including the 2022 Cedar Creek Fire near Waldo Lake, the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire in the Opal Creek area and the Whitewater and Lionshead fires around Mount Jefferson.

The organization says eliminating the national rule would allow Forest Service officials to consider additional access and forest treatments where they believe those actions are appropriate.

Conservation Groups Oppose the Proposal

Conservation organizations are pushing back, arguing that the Roadless Rule has protected some of the country's largest remaining undeveloped national forest landscapes while still allowing targeted forest management.

Oregon Wild, which opposes the rescission, says approximately 2 million acres in Oregon are protected by the rule. The organization argues that roadless areas provide wildlife habitat, drinking-water protection and recreation opportunities and that additional road construction could create new environmental impacts and add to the Forest Service's existing road-maintenance obligations.

Opponents also note that the existing Roadless Rule already contains exceptions for wildfire response and some vegetation management. The original rule specifically allows certain timber treatments intended to restore forest conditions or reduce uncharacteristic wildfire effects, while allowing roads in cases involving imminent threats to public health and safety.

The disagreement, therefore, is not simply over whether forests should be managed. Much of the debate centers on how much discretion local Forest Service officials should have to approve roads and timber projects in areas that have been subject to nationwide roadless protections since 2001.

Public Comment Period Opens August 20

The proposed rescission is not yet final.

The Forest Service will open a public comment period on the proposed rule and draft Environmental Impact Statement beginning Thursday, August 20. Comments will be accepted through September 21, 2026.

Additional information is available through the Forest Service Roadless Areas webpage. Once the comment period opens, comments can be submitted through Regulations.gov under docket FS-2025-0001

ROSEBURG, Ore. - Plans are underway for the fifth annual Roseburg Blocktober Fest, with organizers now seeking vendors, community organizations, downtown businesses and sponsors to take part in one of downtown Roseburg's largest annual events.

Presented by NeighborWorks Umpqua, Blocktober Fest will return Saturday, October 3, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Southeast Jackson and Southeast Main streets between Lane and Douglas avenues.

The free, all-ages block party brings live music, food, local beer and wine, vendors, family entertainment and community organizations into the heart of downtown Roseburg. Organizers estimate approximately 5,000 people attended last year's festival.

"Blocktober Fest is one of the best days of the year for downtown Roseburg and local small businesses," NeighborWorks Umpqua Executive Director Erica Mills said. "Come help us make our fifth year the best one yet."

The festival has grown substantially since its launch. The 2024 event featured more than 70 vendors and food carts along with two entertainment stages, downtown business activities and local beer, wine and mead. Last year's festival continued that format, with Oregon-born folk-pop trio Joseph headlining the main stage and a separate Family Stage showcasing youth performers, cultural groups and community organizations.

For 2026, organizers are again opening the event to a broad range of businesses and organizations.

Sales vendors, including artisans, makers, retailers and food vendors, can apply for booth space, with preference given to vendors who are directly involved in creating the goods they sell. A standard 10-by-10 space without power costs $100. A space with power is $250, while food truck spaces are also $250. The sales vendor application deadline is August 24, with payment due August 31.

Breweries, wineries and cideries are also being invited to participate. Instead of paying an upfront vendor fee, alcohol vendors operate under a 50/50 revenue-sharing agreement with NeighborWorks Umpqua. Festival-goers purchase a commemorative cup and tokens from designated Blocktober Fest booths, then use the tokens to purchase drinks from participating vendors. Alcohol vendor applications are due August 31.

Nonprofit and educational organizations can apply for a free 10-by-10 community partner booth. Those spaces are intended for organizations offering information, activities or community outreach and do not include electrical power. Applications are due August 31.

Organizers are also encouraging businesses located directly along Southeast Jackson or Southeast Main streets between Lane and Douglas to become part of the festival. Eligible businesses can receive a complimentary 10-by-10 space outside their storefront to showcase products, services or activities. Additional booth space is available for $50 per 10-by-10 area.

Businesses and organizations can also support the event through sponsorships. Packages range from $250 to $5,000 and may include benefits such as event recognition, promotional exposure, logo placement and booth space.

Another change this year will bring the Umpqua Valley Farmers Market directly into the day's activities. The year-round market, which normally operates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., is scheduled to shift its hours on October 3 to 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 400 block of Southeast Main Street, allowing it to operate alongside Blocktober Fest for much of the afternoon.

That means regular Farmers Market customers should expect a later opening that Saturday, while Blocktober Fest visitors will be able to browse market vendors as part of the larger downtown event.

The official Blocktober Fest website currently has application forms available for sales vendors, alcohol vendors, community partners and downtown businesses.

Additional details, including the 2026 entertainment lineup and festival schedule, have not yet been announced on the event website. The festival is currently being promoted as a day of art, music, makers, food, drinks and family activities in historic downtown Roseburg.

Applications and additional information are available at roseburgblocktoberfest.com. Sponsorship information is available through the site's Sponsor page. Questions can also be directed to roseburgblocktoberfest@gmail.com.

MYRTLE CREEK, Ore. - Myrtle Creek’s Music in the Park is nearing the end of its 39th season, with Broadway Phil & the Shouters taking the stage Thursday night for the second-to-last concert of the summer.

The free concert begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at Millsite Park and is scheduled to run until 8:30 p.m.

Broadway Phil & the Shouters have been part of the Southern Oregon music scene for more than three decades, with singer and harmonica player Phil Newton leading a sound built around blues, rhythm and blues and roots rock.

The group has been performing at concerts, clubs and festivals since 1994, drawing influences from West Coast blues, R&B, Tex-Mex and roots rock. Their music also pulls from the soul and R&B sounds of the 1950s and 1960s, with Newton’s harmonica playing a central part of the band’s sound.

Over the years, Broadway Phil & the Shouters have performed at venues and festivals throughout Oregon and Northern California and have shared stages with musicians and groups including Huey Lewis & The News, Elvin Bishop, Dave Mason, Robben Ford, Curtis Salgado and Roomful of Blues.

The band is also no stranger to Myrtle Creek. Broadway Phil & the Shouters have appeared during previous Music in the Park seasons, including performances in 2019 and 2024.

Thursday’s performance is sponsored by Grocery Outlet/Myrtle Creek.

Music in the Park is presented by the Myrtle Creek-Tri City Area Chamber of Commerce and is supported through donations, grants and gifts. This year marks the 39th season of the long-running free summer concert series.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Food is expected to be available from vendors at the park and nearby businesses, and dogs are welcome as long as they are kept under control and owners clean up after them.

After Thursday night, only one concert remains on the 2026 schedule.

The season will close Thursday, Aug. 27, with Eugene’s Moon Mountain String Band & Instrument Petting Zoo. The seven-piece group blends traditional bluegrass with a modern newgrass sound, and the evening will also feature an interactive instrument petting zoo.

Admission and parking for Music in the Park are free.

For more information about the concert series, call 541-860-2037.

ROSEBURG, Ore. - Roseburg is expected to see another hot and sunny summer day Thursday before temperatures ease and stronger afternoon winds increase fire weather concerns heading into the weekend.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a high near 94 degrees in Roseburg on Thursday, with calm winds becoming northwest around 6 mph during the afternoon. Clouds are expected to increase Thursday night, with a low around 59 degrees.

While some valleys west of the Cascades could approach 100 degrees Thursday, forecasters said temperatures should return closer to seasonal averages beginning Friday.

The bigger concern heading into Friday and Saturday will be the combination of dry conditions, low relative humidity and increasing winds.

According to the National Weather Service in Medford, stronger pressure gradients are expected to develop Friday as an upper-level low approaches the region. That will lead to increased afternoon and evening winds, particularly across areas east of the Cascades and portions of Northern California.

Saturday is expected to bring the stronger wind gusts of the two days. When combined with another dry afternoon and low humidity, forecasters said conditions could become elevated to critical for wildfire starts and spread.

For the Roseburg area and other communities west of the Cascades, the forecast continues to favor dry summer weather, but the increase in afternoon winds will be worth watching as vegetation remains dry late in the fire season.

There is also a chance of isolated thunderstorms Friday afternoon and early evening, primarily along the Cascades and possibly into areas east of the mountains. Forecasters said the thunderstorm threat has decreased compared with earlier forecasts, with limited atmospheric instability expected to keep any storms that develop isolated.

The primary fire weather concern remains wind and low humidity rather than lightning.

The broader weather pattern is expected to remain largely unchanged into early next week, with south to southwesterly flow keeping the region mostly dry.

Smoke and poor air quality may also continue across portions of western Siskiyou County and parts of Klamath and Lake counties due to nearby wildfires.

For Roseburg, Thursday will likely be the hottest day in the immediate forecast before temperatures move closer to typical late-August levels beginning Friday. Fire weather concerns are expected to increase Friday and peak Saturday as winds strengthen across Southern Oregon.

Limited Time Events

• Wellness Walk | Every Saturday Through September | 9am at the Thrive Umpqua office in Roseburg (556 SE Jackson)
• Seven Feathers’ Wine Trolley Tour | June 6 - September 27 | Link
• 2026 Summerfest @ Roseburg Cinema | June 15 - August 20th | Link
• Zumba in the Park | 6:30-7:30 p.m. At Stewart Park every Wednesday through August 26 | FREE!

Monday, August 17th

• DJ Trivia Night @ Workman's Bar & Smokehouse | 7 pm
• Open Mic Night @ Little Brothers Pub | 6 - 8 pm
• Celebrate Recovery | Westside Christian Church | Dinner at 5:30, Large group at 6:30.
• Monday Night Auxiliary Bingo | Winston VFW | 4:30 pm | must have papers by 5:30, $17 for all games.

Tuesday, August 18th

• Bingo @ Roseburg Elks Lodge #326 | 6:30 pm
• DJ Bingo @ Workman's Bar and Smokehouse | 6 pm
• DJ Trivia @ Urban NY Pizza & Grill | 7 pm
• Free Line Dancing Lessons - Elements Lounge @ Seven Feathers Casino Resort | Every week on Tuesday | 7 - 9 pm | Link
• Open Mic Night @ Kodiak Bar & Grill | Every week on Tuesday @ 6 - 8 pm
• Tuesdays! Free Line Dancing Lessons at Elements Lounge in Seven Feathers Casino Resort | 7 - 9 pm | Link
• Celebrate Recovery | Winston Assembly of God | Dinner at 5:30, Large group at 6:30.
• Melrose Sunset Club: Rudof Korv @ Melrose Vineyards | 6 - 8 pm | Link
• Trivia with Amy @ Two Shy Brewing | 6 - 8:30 pm | Link

Wednesday, August 19th

• DJ Trivia @ Backside Brewing Co. | 6 - 7:30 pm
• Karaoke/Open Mic Night @ Idle Hour Tavern | 9 pm - 12:30 am
• Open Mic at Brix | Every Wednesday | 6 - 8 pm
• Trivia Night @​ Lookingglass Brewery | 6 - 9 pm
• Trivia Night @​ Little Brothers Pub | 6 pm
• Bingo @ Roseburg Senior Center | (Every Wed and Fri) - Doors Open at 5 pm, starts at 6:30 pm. Food available. Ages 7+. $1 for non-members.
• Celebrate Recovery | Redeemers (Old movie theater) | Dinner at 5:30, Large group at 6:30.
• Wednesday Night Karaoke with Mr. Michael | Winston VFW | 5 - 9 pm| 21+
• Group Meet - Knitting of Any Kind | Studio Arts Connection (1350 NE Stephens, Roseburg) | 1 - 3:30 pm | Knitting, crochet, hand quilting felting spinning, etc
• Canyonville Farmer's Market | Wednesdays from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm at Seven Feathers Casino Parking Lot | May - October
• Live Music: Dylan James Clark @ Two Shy Brewing | 6 - 8 pm | Link

Thursday, August 20th

• DJ Trivia @ North Forty Beer Company | 7 - 8:30 pm
• Karaoke Night @ Workman's Bar and Smokehouse | 9 pm - 12 am
• Karaoke Night at Kodiak | Every Thursday and Saturday | 8 pm
• DJ Bingo @ Brix Bar & Grill | 7 - 9 pm
• Thirsty Thursday Cornhole Night @ Lookingglass Brewery | Every week on Thursday | 6 - 8 pm | Link
• Al-Anon Meeting in Oakland (Weekly) | Oakland Ice House - 212 Lucust St | 2 - 3 PM
• Live Music: Jay William Miller @​ The Rosebud Theatre | 6 pm

Friday, August 21st

• Friday Pizzas! @ Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards | 12 - 4 pm
• Karaoke Night @ Winchester Pub & Grill | 8 - 11 pm
• Kick Up the Dust - Line Dancing Lessons @ Workman's Bar & Smokehouse | 7 - 8 pm
• Bingo @ Roseburg Senior Center | (Every Wed and Fri) - Doors Open at 5 pm, starts at 6:30 pm. Food available. Ages 7+. $1 for non-members.
• Karaoke Night at Kodiak | Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday | 8 pm
• Friday Night Live Music | Winston VFW
• Group Meet - Open Painting Watercolor and Small Acrylic | Studio Arts Connection (1350 NE Stephens, Roseburg) | 1 - 3:30 PM
• Live Music: Belltower @​ The Rosebud Theatre | 6 pm
• Live Music: Devon Rockholt @​ Lookingglass Brewery | 6 pm

Saturday, August 22nd

• Umpqua Valley Farmers Market | 9 am - 1 pm | SE Jackson St | Link
• Roseburg Saturday Farmers Market | 2525 W Harvard Ave | 9 am - 2:30 pm | Link
• Karaoke Night @​ Brix Bar & Grill | (Every Saturday) @ 7 - 10 pm
• Karaoke Night @ Lookingglass Brewery | 6 - 8 pm | Link
• Karaoke Night at Kodiak | Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday | 8 pm
• Saturday Night Karaoke with DJ Dan | Winston VFW | 5 - 9 pm | 21+
• David Brighton’s Space Oddity @ Seven Feathers Casino Resort | 7 - 8:30 pm | Link
• DCCS Scottish Highland Games @ Melrose Vineyards | August 22 & 23rd | 9 am - 5 pm | Link
• Umpqua Brew Fest - Downtown Roseburg | 12 - 7 pm | Link
• Kool Coastal Night Car Show | Winchester Bay | Beach Blvd | Link
• Live Music: Ty Curtis @​ The Rosebud Theatre | 7 pm

Sunday, August 23rd

• DCCS Scottish Highland Games @ Melrose Vineyards | August 22 & 23rd | 9 am - 5 pm | Link

• We now have 23,268 Facebook group members!! Thank you all so much for being here!
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That is the scoop for this Thursday morning. Have a great day!

- The Roseburg Receiver Team