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The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indians Emergency Management Services and Ferry County Sheriffs office has reduced all Level 2 evacuation areas to a Level 1 as of 8:00 am

Beginning August 12, Information Updates will only be provided once per day. All further updates will be published and disseminated in the mornings. Williams Flats Fire Acreage: 44,670 Containment: 45% Current Fire Information: Plans to transition the fire from the current Type 2 to a Type 3 team continue with transfer of command expected to take place Thursday, August 15. The storms over the last few days have been both beneficial and challenging. Large amounts of rain caused localized flash flooding washing out several roads. A helicopter will be conducting an overflight of the immediate fire area to assess damage to the roads and fire suppression areas. A portion of today’s efforts will revolve around repairing roads to provide safe access to the work areas. The west and southwest flanks of the fire are secure and repair work will continue through the day. Along the north flank, a dozer line was constructed including the area beneath Whitestone Lookout. The Structure...

Favorable weather conditions helped crews continue to make solid progress yesterday. John Pellissier, Operations Section Chief, summed it up during the briefing as night shift firefighters prepared to go out. “Today we had a good day of work, building off good work last night”. During night shift, crews finished laying hose along the west, north, and east flanks of the fireline. Today, crews will improve the firelines and continue mop up deeper into the burned area. Mop up along much of the lines has reached 30 to 50 feet into the burned area. The southern flank of the fire is perched atop the steep canyon rim, over- looking the Klamath River. Fire managers seized an opportunity yesterday to have crews scratch-in some basic handline, which is the first step toward securing the extremely steep slopes below the canyon rim. Night crews avoided the steep terrain in observance of safety, and crews today will begin improving the line along the southern edge of the fire. Today’s...

Rainfall and cooler temperatures over the weekend allowed firefighters to make significant progress on all of the fires in this complex. Crews continue to secure firelines and mop up the north end of the Little Bear/Sulphur Springs Fire. Mop up and equipment removal continue on the rest of the fire. A large island of unburned fuel within the interior of this fire is expected to burn out over the next several days producing a significant amount of smoke. All other fires are in the final stages of mop up, equipment removal, and fireline rehabilitation to protect natural resources. Late yesterday afternoon a new fire was detected on the eastern slope of Turner Mountain as a result of lightning over the previous few days. Firefighters working on this complex quickly responded and suppressed it. The fire will be monitored for several days to ensure that it is out. Water tenders made significant progress yesterday refilling stock ponds that were used as fire engine fill and helicopter...

Beginning August 12, Information Updates will only be published once per day. All further updates will be published in the mornings. Williams Flats Fire Acreage: 44,670 Containment: 45% Current Fire Information: Today’s and last night’s storms tracked directly over the Williams Flats Fire. Large amounts of rain and flash flooding created potentially hazardous conditions and has washed out several roads. The 64 firefighters caught behind the flash flood area last night were all safely returned to base camp this morning unharmed. A helicopter conducted an overflight of the immediate fire area to assess damage to the roads in the affected area and to more accurately map the fire affected areas. Because of this overflight, the fire has moderately increased its size while remaining in its existing foot print. The west and southwest flanks of the fire are secure. Resources are being moved from this side of the fire to be utilized on other locations. Along the north flank, a dozer...

The Colville Tribal Emergency Services and Ferry County Sherrifs' office have adjusted several evacuations levels.The Level 1 evacuation advisory for the Wilmont Creek area is no longer necessary. There are no longer any evacuation advisories for the area.The Level 2 evacuation advisory for the Silver Creek Road/southern Frosty Meadows Road remains in effect until 8 a.m. Monday, August 12th. At that time it will drop to a Level 1, “get ready to leave”. The area remains at a Level 2 because there are still fire operations and fire traffic along the road.The Level 3 evacuation advisory for the areas along Ninemile-Hellgate Road remains in effect. Significant road damage occurred due to flash flooding Saturday night, and until repairs are made the road remains impassable in at least one place.The Level 1 evacuation advisory remains in effect for the Goat/Hellgate Ranch area. Due to road damage, the road leading to the site may be impassable.Access restrictions will remain along...

Ward Fire 2019 Update for Saturday, August 10, 2019The Ward Fire started early afternoon August 9th, 2019 when a lightning storm came through the area. The fire instantly started running and spotting, aided by topography and winds. Crews from ODF and BLM along with Green Diamond timber company rapidly responded. As of this evening fire lines have been completed using dozers, directly along the burning perimeter on the west, north, and east flanks of the fire. Crews will begin mopping up and securing these areas, while patrolling for spot fires. Last night and this morning the fire received approximately 1/2 inch of rain which greatly moderated fire behavior. Mostly cloudy conditions are expected tonight, with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Thunderstorm activity should diminish overnight. With warmer and dryer weather returning Sunday hot spots burning inside the fire have the potential to increase fire behavior. A dry front is possible at mid-week with slight cooling and...

Ward Fire Summary- Sunday, August 11, 2019: The Ward Fire started in the early afternoon of August 9th, 2019 when a lightning storm came through the area. The fire instantly started running and spotting, aided by topography and winds. Crews from ODF and BLM along with Green Diamond Timber Company responded rapidly. The fire has had minimal growth since yesterday due to the moist and cool conditions and effective dozer lines built directly against the burning perimeter on the northern flank of the fire. Last night, firefighters worked to mop up 30 feet in on the fire line in the northwest flank of the fire. Crews also worked to install hose lays along the completed dozer line on the northeast portion. The plan for today is the continue to secure, improve, and hold constructed fire line along the northern areas of the fire. The southern flank of the fire has burned up the rocky and steep ridge overlooking the Klamath River. Fire managers are scouting and looking for...

August 11, 2019 – 9:00 a.m. Acres: 450 Location: 3 air miles southwest of Stehekin, WA Completion: Season-ending weather event Cause: Lightning Estimated Cost: $1,118,473 (as of Aug. 11) Report Date: July 26, 2019 (ignited by the lightning storms that came through on July 23 and 24) Personnel: 18 Current Activity: About a quarter of an inch of rain fell over the fire area on Saturday and minimal fire activity was observed. While not a “season ending” event that would put the fire out, the rain, cooler temperatures and higher humidity have combined to slow fire activity significantly. The Phoenix National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) Team that has been working on the Devore Creek Fire for the past thirteen days will transfer command to a local, Type 3 organization tomorrow morning. The NIMO team leaves behind a detailed plan of actions that can be used if the fire comes back to life in a way that threatens people or property. The fire is expected to burn until...

Williams Flats Fire Acreage: 43,000 Containment: 40% Current Fire Information: Yesterday and last night’s storms tracked directly over the Williams Flats Fire. Large amounts of rain and flash flooding created hazardous road conditions. 64 firefighters remained on the fire, unable to return to the incident command post due to the situation. A helicopter will immediately fly this morning checking on the firefighters and searching for hazardous road conditions. Firefighters will travel to the fire and engage if it can be safely accomplished. The fire has not moved from the existing foot print. The west and southwest flanks of the fire are secure. Resources are being moved from this side of the fire to be utilized on other locations. Along the north flank, preparing of the Silver Creek Road contingency line into the Four Corners area is complete. With the cooler temperatures and minimal fire behavior, firefighters are scouting for opportunities to construct direct containment lines...

The Tupper Guard Station recorded ¼” of rainfall Saturday afternoon and evening, aiding firefighters in suppressing the nearby HK Complex. Work to mop up within the firelines in all divisions of the fire area continued throughout the day. At the north end of the main complex fire, crews worked to strengthen hand line put in place the day before, and began to pull out fire hose from around the fire as part of the clean up. Overnight, an interior pocket in the southern portion of the complex was revived by strong winds to burn well within the fireline, producing significant smoke. Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the area to assure nothing escapes the established fireline. On Sunday, some crews and equipment will begin to demobilize, while remaining firefighters will continue mop up in smoldering areas and pulling hose off the fireline. Additional areas will be identified for any rehabilitation work needed to help return the area to its natural state. The day...

Williams Flats and Lundstrom Butte Fires Update Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander: Doug Johnson August 10, 2019 - 9:00 P.M. Fire Information: (509) 634-7341 (8:00 am to 9:00 pm); 2019.williamsflats@firenet.gov Information Websites: Inciweb – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6493 ; Facebook Pages – Colville Tribal Broadcast, News and Information Williams Flats Fire ALERT: Flash Flood Watch - Local heavy rain today for Chelan, Ferry and Okanogan counties. FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. Slow moving thunderstorms capable of heavy rain will be possible over burn scars and steep terrain prone to flash flooding in north central and northeast Washington. If heavy rain...

Evacuation Level Changes 10 August 2019 Evacuation notices issued for homes near the Williams Flats Fire by the Colville Tribes Emergency Services and the Ferry County Sheriff’s Office have been revised as follows: The Level 1 evacuation advisory, for Falls Creek/Cougar Canyon Road south to Wilmont Creek Road (including Rogers Bar Campground), has been lifted effective at 4 PM today. The Level 2 evacuation advisory for the Wilmont Creek drainage has been lowered to a Level 1 advisory, "prepare to leave," effective at 4 PM today. The Level 3 evacuation advisory for areas south of Wilmont Creek (including the southern part of Ninemile-Frosty Meadows Road and along the Silver Creek Road) has been lowered to level 2, "be ready to leave at any moment", effective at 4 PM today. The Level 3 evacuation advisory for homes south of Four Corners, on or near the shoreline of Lake Roosevelt along the Ninemile-Hellgate Road, remains in effect. Road access is compromised by fire. The...

August 10, 2019 – 9:00 a.m. Acres: 450 Location: 3 air miles southwest of Stehekin, WA Completion: Season-ending weather event Cause: Lightning Estimated Cost: $1,058,000 Report Date: July 26, 2019 (ignited by the lightning storms that came through on July 23 and 24) Personnel: 58, including 1 hand crew, 2 helicopters, 31 overhead personnelCurrent Activity: At least a tenth of inch of rain has fallen on the Devore Creek Fire area since midnight and more scattered showers are possible throughout the day today. No rain fell on the fire Friday but fire growth was moderated by cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Higher humidity levels and cooler temperatures are forecast through next week. A community meeting will be held in Stehekin tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at the (new) Stehekin School. Staff from the Forest Service, National Park Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Chelan County Office of Emergency Management, and the Incident Management Team...

The HK Complex lines continue to hold and progress is being made on various mop up operations to achieve greater depth from containment lines. Internal fire activity is being held within the perimeter as there are interior pockets of unburned fuel. Firefighting crews will be monitoring for any isolated tree torches or hold-over spots. Operations will move forward with the current plan of identifying areas for repair work. While there was rain and lightning throughout the region yesterday, no rain fell over the fires. A red flag warning for abundant lightning expires this morning at 10:00 a.m. Temperatures today over the complex are predicted to be in the low to mid 70s. A chance of showers is possible after 10:00 a.m. with a higher probability in the late evening. Wind is anticipated to be milder with possible gusts up to 40 miles per hour. Fire danger rating remains at HIGH and Public Use Restrictions limiting chainsaw use are in effect. A portion of the 21 Road is closed...

Williams Flats and Lundstrom Butte Fires Update Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 8, Incident Commander: Doug Johnson August 10, 2019 - 9:00 A.M. Fire Information: (509) 634-7341 (8:00 am to 9:00 pm); 2019.williamsflats@firenet.gov Information Websites: Inciweb – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6493 ; Facebook Pages – Colville Tribal Broadcast, News and Information Williams Flats Fire A Red Flag Warning is in effect today through 5:00 PM for thunderstorms. Gusty and erratic winds are possible with the thunderstorms. ALERT: Flash Flood Watch - Local heavy rain today for Chelan, Ferry and Okanogan counties. FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued. Slow moving thunderstorms capable of heavy rain...

Special

Devore Fire Community Meeting August 11, 2019 at 5:30 pm New Stehekin SchoolStaff from the Forest Service, National Park Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Chelan County Office of Emergency Management, and the Incident Management Team will provide a brief overview of current operations, the long term strategy for the fire, and will be available to answer

SmokeScattered rainfall should keep smoke spread to a minimum today. No significant air quality impacts are expected.FireThe Devore Creek Fire is currently 450 acres, which is an increase of 25 acres. The most active parts of the fire are in pockets of dead-and-down on the northern and western edges. The fire remains in the Devore Creek drainage. Fire behavior will be limited today by cloud cover and scattered rainfall.Please see attached pdf file for the complete smoke

Rain Fell On the Granite Gulch FireAugust 9, 2019Contact: Dave Schmitt, Public Information Officer, 541-519-1460Incident SummaryCause: LighteningInitial report: July 28, 2019Approximate size: 1,700 acres (Aug. 9, 1:00 pm PST)Personnel assigned: Incident Commander, Incident Commander Trainee, Public Information Officer, Strategic Operational Planner, two Fire Effects Monitors, and four-person Fire Module Resources assigned: Type 3 helicopter Resources available: Type 1 helicopter and fixed wing aircraft Joseph, Oregon – Yesterday, scattered thunderstorms passed over the fire, as predicted, and a light rain fell across the fire for two to three hours in the afternoon. Fire activity was low, but there was some increase in size, primarily on the west side, as it moves slowly down the Minam River drainage. Crews completed installation of the sprinkler system around the Elk Creek Bridge as a precaution in case the fire moves toward that structure. They also cleared trails in the area to...