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Highway 410 to re-open for night travel starting August 22. The Washington State Department of Transportation and Norse Peak Fire managers are implementing a plan for allowing limited traffic through the Highway 410 corridor between Chinook Pass (mile post 69) and Hells Crossing (mile post 84, west of Cliffdell, WA). Beginning Tuesday night August 22 at 8:00 p.m., Highway 410 will be opened to traffic until 6:00 a.m. Provided conditions remain acceptable, the road will be opened nightly for these same hours, until further notice. During those hours, night shift fire engines will patrol the fire and closure areas. The Highway remains closed during the day from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. this week, to allow fire crews to work safely along the highway. This plan remains in effect through Friday August 25. For your safety and ours, if you plan to travel through this portion of Highway 410 when it is open at night, please follow these guidelines: Drive slowly and remain alert....

Highway 410 to reopen to nighttime traffic. The Washington State Department of Transportation and Norse Peak Fire managers are implementing a plan for allowing limited traffic through the Highway 410 corridor between Chinook Pass (mile post 69) and Hells Crossing (mile post 84, west of Cliffdell, WA). Beginning Tuesday night August 22 at 8:00 p.m., Highway 410 will be opened to traffic until 6:00 a.m. Provided conditions remain acceptable, the road will be opened nightly for these same hours, until further notice. During those hours, night shift fire engines will patrol the fire and closure areas. The Highway remains closed during the day from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. this week, to allow fire crews to work safely along the highway. This plan remains in effect through Friday August 25. For your safety and ours, if you plan to travel through this portion of Highway 410 when it is open at night, please follow these guidelines: Drive slowly and remain alert. The speed limit...

Location: Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA Start Date: August 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Size: 916 Acres Percent Contained: 0% Vegetation: Timber between rock stringers and ridge tops Resources Assigned: 301 personnel Incident Commander: Alan Sinclair with the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 3 Summary: The Jolly Mountain Fire was more active yesterday than it has been the past few days. The higher temperature and lower relative humidity pattern will continue into the coming days. On Thursday, predictions call for lower temperatures then rising again for the remainder of the week into the following week. The up canyon winds enabled the fire to make short uphill runs above the West Fork Teanaway River. Most of the acreage increase was along the northwest edge of the fire. “We recognize the smoke has become more visible as it moved into an area with excessive amounts of large diameter dead...

A 10-acre spot fire occurred to the east of Summit Trail on Sunday night. Helicopters and Fire Boss scooper planes converged on the spot fire on Monday, and crews successfully surrounded it with a combination of hand line and dozer line. There is also a backup contingency line to the east and Bridge Creek Road as a back-up fire break to the south. Bridge Creek Road was closed for two hours on Monday because work on the Summit Trail spot fire had the potential of interfering with traffic. The southern flank of the Bridge Creek Fire has been lined and the line has been reinforced by a burnout operation. The eastern flank has now been lined and burned out. Today’s plans include mopping up the spot fire, finishing a “black line” (a result of a burnout operation) around a special seedling test and research site within the fire area, and continuing the burnout operation along the north side of the fire. On Thursday a strong front is expected to pass over the area bringing ridge top...

The Norse Peak Fire is currently 1,750 acres and the American Fire is 156 acres. There are 290 personnel (1 Type 1 crew; 6 Type 2 crews, 16 engines, 2 water tenders, and 2 helicopters) working on these fires. Three other wilderness fires started by the same lightning event are now 78, 45, and 4 acres. Firefighters are monitoring these fires. Hwy 410: As of this evening, Hwy 410 will be open from approximately 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Fire managers are asking the public to be patient as this area still has crews working along the highway and all equipment and debris must be removed from the driving lanes prior to allowing traffic on the road. The speed limit will be 45 mph. Drivers should drive cautiously as firefighters will still be working in the area all night. Stopping is prohibited. Camping facilities remain closed within the fire area. This system is being evaluated daily and expected to remain in effect through Friday August 25. Monday’s Accomplishments: The northwest corner of...

Tuesday, August 22, 2017Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 5 Fire Information: (503) 765-5724 - 8 am – 8 pm Email: diamondcreekfire@gmailWebsite: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5409/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiamondCreekFire2017Smoke Conditions: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com Location: Methow Valley Ranger District on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; 12 miles north of Mazama, WA. Summary: On Monday, hotshots were successful in building containment lines on the ridge above Pat Creek, in the southwestern portion of the fire. Today, hotshots will be securing lines and utilizing helicopter bucket drops to prevent down-canyon burning. Crews to the south of the fire continue working on contingency lines. Eightmile drainage will be patrolled and monitored.A combination of low relative humidity, high temperatures and unstable weather makes today potentially challenging for firefighters on the Diamond Creek Fire. Temperatures are expected to be 5 degrees higher...

Fire activity is increasing on Jolly Mountain Fire. As temperatures increased and relative humidity decreased and the wind picked up this afternoon, the fire is making short uphill runs above the West Fork Teanaway River. Expect to see increased smoke from the local communities.

The Norse Peak Fire is 1,556 acres and the American Fire is 129 acres. There are 269 personnel (1 Type 1 crew; 6 Type 2 crews, 11 engines, 2 water tenders, and 2 helicopters) currently working on these fires. Three other wilderness fires started by the same lightning event are now 42, 35, and 2 acres; these fires are monitored daily. Sunday’s Accomplishments: Firefighters were able to fell dead trees and improve the fire line along the 999 Trail and Hwy 410. They held the Norse Peak Fire east of Union Creek and north of the 999 Trail. Hose lays and sprinklers are now in place to help protect structures in the area, including the Union Creek Cabins and the Pleasant Valley Campground. They also completed important strategic firing operations on the southeast corner of the Norse Peak Fire. Today: The fire edge along the Highway 410 corridor remains the priority. Snag falling, securing fireline through careful ignition operations, and assessing structures are the primary tasks today....

Location: Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA Start Date: August 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Size: 638 Acres Percent Contained: 0% Vegetation: Timber between rock stringers and ridge tops Resources Assigned: 301 personnel Incident Commander: Alan Sinclair with the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 3 Summary: Yesterday the fire was actively backing and making short uphill runs. This is expected to continue as the temperatures increase and relative humidity decreases over the next few days. As the fire moves through the beetle kill timber, an increase in smoke will be visible from the local communities. Construction of indirect fire control lines continues along the southwest and southeast side of the fire. Work with the masticators, chippers, feller bunchers and hand crews is nearing completion. Dozers are being utilized to finish prepping and connecting roads between Middle and West Fork...

On Sunday firefighters achieved their goal of burning out 4.5 miles of forest fuels along the Summit Trail fire line all the way down to Bridge Creek Road. One spot fire outside the line has kept firefighters busy through the night and into the morning. Three helicopters and five “Fire Boss” water scooping airplanes on loan from Omak and Deer Park were supporting the burnout operation. In addition to work on the Bridge Creek Fire, firefighters and a helicopter also responded to a fire 20 miles to the southeast north of Wilmont Bay and near Roger’s Bar Campground on Sunday evening. Initial attack remains a top priority for the team. Sunday afternoon the Type 2 helicopter that made a precautionary landing on Saturday near Summit Road was repaired and put back into service. The overnight inversion caused smoke to concentrate near Bridge Creek Road during the night, so commuting this morning may be more hazardous than usual. Law Enforcement will continue to monitor the situation...

Diamond Creek Fire August 21Fire Information: (503) 765-5724 - 8 am – 8 pmEmail: diamondcreek@gmail.comWebsite: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/5409/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiamondCreekFire2017Smoke Conditions: http://wasmoke.blogspot.comLocation: Methow Valley Ranger District on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; 12 miles north of Mazama, WA.Summary: A hotshot crew today will continue extending and improving handline along a ridge above the Pat Creek drainage. On Sunday in the Eightmile drainage, handcrews completed mop-up along the handline on the southern tip of the fire. This portion of the fire will move into monitoring status. Crews and equipment will continue to improve roads and contingency lines south of the fire. Aviation assets will continue to monitor the fire and helicopter bucket drops may be used to work hot spots. Firefighters continue to make progress on the fire. However, managers expect this to be a long-term event, continuing until season-ending...

See Photographs for PDF copy of Quarry Fire Closure

En estos informes, les explicaré algunas frases y términos que se usan frecuentemente durante la temporada de incendios en los estados de Oregón y Washington. En este segmento, les platicaré de los niveles de evacuación en ambos estados. Existen tres niveles de evacuación en Oregón y Washington. Los tres niveles se pueden pensar igual que una carrera. El primer nivel es “en sus marcas”, el segundo, “listos” y el tercero, “fuera”.Si se anuncia el primer nivel de evacuación en su área, hay que estar “en sus marcas”. Esto significa que los residentes deben estar conscientes del peligro que existe en su área. Los residentes deben monitorear los medios de comunicación y los sitios de internet de los servicios de emergencia locales con la finalidad de obtener la información más actualizada. Este es el tiempo apropiado para preparar a personas con movilidad limitada, y pensar en cómo transportar sus mascotas y ganado fuera del área de peligro inmediato. Prepare...

Actualizacion del Fuego Norse Peak. August 20, 2017 9:00 am. El Norse Peak Fire es actualmente 1.540 acres y el American Fire es 122 acres. Los incendios continúan progresando lentamente; El cambio en acres se debe a un mejor mapeo con imágenes infrarrojas. Hay 219 personas (1 Equipo de Bomberos de Tipo 1, 5 Equipos de Bomberos de Tipo 2, 10 Camiones de Bomberos, 2 Camareros de agua y 2 helicópteros) trabajando actualmente en estos incendios. Logros del Sábado: Los bomberos fueron capaces de caer árboles muertos y mejorar la línea de fuego a lo largo de la 999 Trail. También fueron capaces de preparar estructuras en esta área. Siguen vigilando los rayos más pequeños causados por incendios en la zona, que no han tenido ningún crecimiento significativo. Hoy: Hwy 410 permanece cerrado desde Chinook Pass (milla puesto 69) para el Cruce de Hell (millas puesto 84). Los bomberos continuarán trabajando a lo largo del corredor Hwy 410 eliminando árboles muertos...

Norse Peak Fires Update. Sunday, August 20, 2017 - 9:00 a.m. The Norse Peak Fire is currently 1,540 acres and the American Fire is 122 acres. The fires continue to progress slowly; the change in acres is due to better mapping with infrared imagery. There are 219 personnel (1 Type 1 crew; 5 Type 2 crews, 10 engines, 2 water tenders, and 2 helicopters) currently working on these fires. Saturday: Firefighters were able to fell dead trees and improve the fire line along the 999 Trail. They also prepped structures in this area. They continue to monitor other smaller lightning caused fires in the area, which haven’t had any significant growth. Today: Hwy 410 remains closed from Chinook Pass (mile post 69) to Hell’s Crossing (mile post 84). Firefighters continue to work along the Hwy 410 corridor removing dead trees using a feller-buncher. They will continue to triage structures along the Hwy 410 corridor and create defensible space where needed. The objective...

Diamond Creek Fire UpdateAugust 20 Fire Information: (503) 765-5724 - 8 am – 8 pmEmail: diamondcreekfire@gmail.comWebsite: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5409/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiamondCreekFire2017Smoke Conditions: http://wasmoke.blogspot.comLocation: Methow Valley Ranger District on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; 12 miles north of Mazama, WA. Summary: Yesterday, Smokejumpers and an Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) were inserted on the ridge above Pat Creek to assess fire activity in the area.Today, in Pat Creek, Smokejumpers and the IHC will continue to assess fire activity and scout for possible handline locations. In Eightmile drainage, handcrews will continue to hold existing lines, mop-up, and reinforce fire contingency lines to lessen the threat of fire growth further south. Aviation assets will continue to monitor the fire and helicopter bucket drops may be used to keep the fire from spreading.Crews were able to access the Billy Goat Trailhead area...

Burnout continued on Summit Trail on the east side of the Bridge Creek Fire and along the southern side of the fire on Saturday. Operations were suspended when the wind picked up and small spot fires were found outside the primary fire line. The night shift worked all night on searching out and extinguishing spot fires. One of the Type 2 helicopters assigned to the fire had a small mechanical issue on Saturday, and set down at the nearest helipad, which was next to Summit Trail about a mile north of Bridge Creek Road. It will likely be out of service during the day today as the mechanic attempts to find and fix the problem. Smoke from the burnout operation may cause hazardous driving on Bridge Creek Road and may result in the road being closed intermittently. Plans for aerial ignition between the burnout operation and the main fire have been approved. Field Operations Chief Marc Crain said, “We have the right plan, the right people, and the right equipment – now it’s all...

Homeowners Embrace Firewise Sunday, August 20, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Location: Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA Start Date: August 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Size: 585 Acres Percent Contained: 0% Vegetation: Timber between rock stringers and ridge tops Resources Assigned: 281 personnel Incident Commander: Alan Sinclair with the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 3 Summary: With the higher humidity yesterday, the fire showed minimal intensity and is slowly backing to the south. No significant movement is expected today however growth will continue to pick up later in the week as temperatures rise and conditions become drier. Construction of indirect fire control lines along the southwest and southeast side of the fire continues with the assistance of masticators, chippers, and hand crews. Dozers are being utilized to finish prepping and connecting roads between Middle and West Fork Teanaway...

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Location: Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA Start Date: August 11, 2017 Cause: Lightning Size: 548 Acres Percent Contained: 0% Vegetation: Timber between rock stringers and ridge tops Resources Assigned: 261 personnel Incident Commander: Alan Sinclair with the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 3 Summary: Overcast skies and higher relative humidity resulted in minimal fire behavior yesterday. Insignificant fire spread is expected again today as it continues backing slowly downslope to the west. Construction of indirect fire control lines along the southwest and southeast side of the fire continues with the assistance of hand crews and heavy equipment. The presence of the heavy equipment, falling trees and fire personnel conducting chainsaw work can be dangerous to the public. For this reason and for the safety of firefighters, area and road closures continue to remain in effect. Posted photos of indirect fire line...