About Us
Jackson County Fire District No.5 provides fire suppression, wildland firefighting, Advanced Life Support, hazardous material, rescue, and extrication services. The District is staffed 24/7 by paid, career firefighters. Volunteer recruitment is on-going to help bolster response services.
JCFD5 has (3) fire stations:
Station 3 - 112 W 2nd St. Phoenix, OR 97535
Station 4 - 40 Neil Creek Rd. Ashland, OR 97520
Station 5 - 5811 S Pacific Hwy. Phoenix, OR 97535
The fire stations are located in the communities of Phoenix, Talent, and unincorporated Ashland with a population of over 23,000.
Jackson County Fire District No. 5 protects 120 square miles encompassing two cities, unincorporated areas of Jackson County, and state and federal responsibility lands. The District is bordered by the Oregon–California state line and the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument to the south, the Klamath National Forest and Pacific Crest Trail to the west, Medford to the north, and the Rogue–Siskiyou National Forest to the east.
In 2025, District personnel responded to more than 3,110 calls for service, including fires, rescues, and medical emergencies. Located in the Rogue Valley, the District is part of Oregon’s fourth‑largest metropolitan area and maintains strong partnerships with mutual aid partners, and local, state, and federal government and fire agencies.
Supported by career and volunteer firefighters and guided by elected officials, the District remains committed to progressive service delivery, innovation, and strong community partnerships to ensure the safety of those we serve.
Administration
Effective January 1, 2025, Jackson County Fire District 3 will share management services with Jackson County Fire District No. 5 through the signing of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) aimed at enhancing regional collaboration through shared management services. Under the IGA, administrative functions are consolidated, however both agencies remain legally separate and governed by individual boards.
Fire District 3 will provide leadership and management support to Fire District 5.
Mike Hussey
Fire Chief
Jackson County Fire District 3
Jackson County Fire District 5
History
PHOENIX—The Phoenix area was settled in about 1850 by brothers Hiram and Samuel Colver. Samuel Colver laid out the town in 1854. Early residents included Milton Lindley, who operated a sawmill that provided timbers in 1855 for a blockhouse as well as a flouring mill owned by Sylvester M. Wait. For a time, the settlement was known locally as Gasburg after a talkative employee in the kitchen serving the mill hands. Wait, who was an agent for the Phoenix Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut, assigned the official name, Phoenix, to the community and, in 1857, to its post office. Waitsburg, Washington, was later named after Wait.
TALENT—A. P. Tallent, an East Tennessee native who settled in Oregon in the 1870s, platted the city in the 1880s. He wanted to name it Wagner but was over-ruled by postal officials, who preferred Talent, dropping one of the l's. The post office opened at this location in 1883. Earlier names for the settlement were Eden District and Wagner Creek.
NEIL CREEK/HWY 66—Neil Creek is located in the Rogue River basin of southern Oregon. It supports some of the most productive fishery habitats in the Bear Creek watershed. It is home to Coho salmon and other wildlife and native plant species. Highway 66 is the gateway to Dead Indian Memorial Road and is one of the oldest trans-Cascade travel routes in southern Oregon. It connects Ashland and the Rogue River Valley with the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument, the first U.S. National monument set aside solely for the preservation of biodiversity, and the Upper Klamath Basin. The road crosses the headwaters of Dead Indian Creek near Howard Prairie Reservoir. In the 1990s, Jackson County changed the name to Dead Indian Memorial Road, but the controversy continues.
TALENT/PHOENIX— In 1963 Jackson County Fire District No. 5 was incorporated as a volunteer fire department. Originally Talent Rural Fire Protection District, it served rural Talent and Phoenix operating out of one fire station. The Fire District protect-ed approximately 35 square miles. In 1968, the District moved to 716 South Pacific Highway in Talent, annexed Barron Rural Fire District southeast of Ash-land, and added another station on Neil Creek Road. The District was now 65 square miles.
By the 1970s, the District be-came JCFD No. 5 employing 12 firefighters and 25 volunteers. Other milestones included the annexation of the City of Talent (1998) and the construction of the headquarters fire station in 2004. The annexation of the City of Phoe-nix (2008) added a third fire station and a fire response area over 120 square miles.