The Sheriff’s Office has been notified that the communications company has restored service to the affected areas and 9-1-1 can now be reached. Residents should be able to use their telephone and cellular service as normal. Residents should report any service outages directly to their service provider. -END UPDATE- ORIGINAL RELEASE 07/11/2019 6:07 AM. DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – A large fire that broke out on Highway 99 in the Green District Wednesday evening, July 10, caused damage to a fiber optic communications box which has resulted in the loss of landline telephone service to some parts of Myrtle Creek, Tri-City, and Riddle. The damage is also affecting Verizon Wireless customers south of Green. As crews from the affected communications company work to repair the damage, some people may be unable to dial 9-1-1. In the event of an emergency, people should attempt 9-1-1 from any telephone or cellular service available. If still unable to summon assistance, quickly find the nearest location with service or go to a fire or police department. Crews expect to have the repairs completed by 10:00 am this morning. The fire, which was found to be a stack of railroad ties, was reported on Wednesday at 11:37 PM to 9-1-1 dispatchers. Douglas County Fire District No. 2 and Winston-Dillard Fire Department responded to the blaze.
