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Aug 6, 2017 The Burnout Road Fire started Tuesday, Aug 1st. It is located 6 miles southeast of the Lost Lake Trailhead of the Larrabee State Park which is 4 miles south of Bellingham on Chuckanut Drive. It is on Washington Department of Natural Resources and private land. The cause is still under investigation. The fire size is estimated at 48 acres. The area's estimated acreage has fluctuated because of the various methods of measuring area. The terrain also makes it difficult to be accurate. It is 100% contained but not 100% controlled. The perimeter completely surrounds the fire to a width of between 200 ft to 300 ft and is cold, thus contained. There are still hot spots inside the fire's interior, thus not controlled.The fire is being handle by the Southeast Washington Interagency Type 3 Team 3, Tony Gilmer is the Incident Commander. There are approximately 102 people working the fire. The fire is currently located in a pre-commercial timber plantation (smaller sapling trees not...

Metaline Falls, WA –The Noisy Creek Fire located on Hall Mountain is now approximately 3,120 acres, burning in heavy timber on steep, rugged slopes. The reduction in acreage from yesterday is due to better, more accurate infrared mapping done by aircraft. A community meeting is scheduled for Tues. Aug. 8 at Cutter Theater (302 Park St, Metaline Falls, WA) at 7:30 p.m. to learn more about fire operations. Yesterday, Pend Oreille Sheriff’s Office and emergency management issued a Level 1 evacuation notification, which means Get Ready, for recreational cabins, residences and campgrounds on the north end of Sullivan Lake east of Outlet Creek and east of Sullivan Lake Road. While fire activity has not significantly increased, burnout operations are planned as a proactive fire control measure to consume existing fuels and secure fire lines along the NE corner of the lake to prevent fire from moving further north. A Level 1 evacuation notification is a necessary safety precaution. Level...

Yesterday’s conditions: Smoky conditions improved Sunday, allowing helicopters to resume dropping water along the southwest edge of the fire, slowing the fire’s spread into Drake Creek. Movement of the fire was detected at the north end of the fire in Tony and Dollar Creeks. South of the fire, crews continued line construction from Eightmile Road west to Billy Goat Trailhead and east to the Upper Falls Creek Fire scar, tying in hand line with avalanche chutes and other natural barriers. Crews also completed setup of hoselay and sprinklers to reinforce the line. Further south, additional crews continued scouting for existing roads that may be used as potential fuel breaks in the event the fire continues moving south. Structure protection assessments also continued along the Methow and Chewuch Rivers.Today’s operations: Fire personnel will continue to engage the fire with aircraft if conditions allow, where appropriate, while keeping firefighter and public safety as our top...

SUIATTLE Fire FINAL Update Northwest Incident management Team 12 Richy Harrod, Incident Commander August 7, 2017 LAST UPDATE UNLESS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OCCUR Yesterday’s operations: The weather and the smoke have been helping the crews make positive progress on the fire. Fire behavior was minimal with very little visible flame. The crews working on the north, west, and south lines of the fire were working in a grid pattern to mop-up hot spots. The crews have begun suppression repair work, meaning they repair resources damaged by fire suppression activity. Repair work includes stabilizing roads, fire lines, and other disturbed areas. Today’s operations: The number of personnel on the fire has decreased from a high of 356 people, and is expected to drop below 150 people today. The remaining hand crews and engines will continue the laborious work of gridding and mopping-up to widen the containment line. They will also continue the repair and stabilization effort. Northwest...

Smoke: PM 2.5 concentration near the ground will be at a lower concentration level in the afternoon thru 8 pm compared to previous days. This will change the air quality from unhealthy to Unhealthy to Sensitive Groups. After 8 pm thru 8 am expect air quality to drop. Due to weather the smoke from the fires in British Columbia will not impact the analysis area as directly as in the past days but this will make it hazy. Fire: Moderate fire behavior with uphill runs and spotting. The fire is now 9,486 acres. Other: Smoke from the Diamond Creek Fire and Canada Fires will still be visible and the area will be hazy. PM 2.5 concentration near the ground will be at a lower concentration between the afternoon and 8 pm. Visitors to the Pasayten Wilderness are reminded to check conditions before embarking and to register at the trailheads, as this information is critical to timely and effective evacuation, should it be needed. See PDF for more details

Metaline Falls, WA –The Noisy Creek Fire located on Hall Mountain is now approximately 3,380 acres, burning in heavy timber on steep, rugged slopes. Pend Oreille Sheriff’s Office and emergency management have issued a Level 1 evacuation notification, which means Get Ready, for recreational cabins, residences and campgrounds on the north end of Sullivan Lake east of Outlet Creek. While fire activity has not increased, burnout operations are being planned as a proactive fire control measure to consume existing fuels and secure fire lines along the NE corner of the lake to prevent the fire from moving further north. A Level 1 evacuation notification is a necessary safety precaution. Level 1 Means Get Ready. This means residents should be alert and aware of the danger that exists in their area and monitor local media outlets for information. Residents with special needs (such as susceptibility to breathing problems in wildfires or those with animals and pets) should take note and...

Aug 5, 2017 The Burnout Road Fire started Tuesday, Aug 1st. It is located 6 miles southeast of the Lost Lake Trailhead of the Larrabee State Park which is 4 miles south of Bellingham on Chuckanut Drive. It is on Washington Department of Natural Resources and private land. The cause is still under investigation. The fire size is estimated at 48 acres. The area's estimated acreage has fluctuated because of the various methods of measuring area.The terrain also makes it difficult to be accurate. It is 100% contained but not 100% controlled. The perimeter completely surrounds the fire to a width of between 200 ft to 300 ft and is cold, thus contained. There are still hot spots in the fire's interior, thus not controlled.The fire is being handle by the Southeast Washington Interagency Type 3 Team 3, Tony Gilmer is the Incident Commander. Presently there are approximately 122 people working the fire. The fire is currently located in a pre-commercial timber plantation (smaller sapling trees...

An infrared flight from last night indicates 600-700 acres of fire growth in the Lost River drainage, at the southwest edge of Diamond Creek Fire. A concentration of heat indicates active burning near Nanny Goat Mountain and in the Diamond Point vicinity along the northeast edge of the fire. See MAPSmoky conditions persist today, meaning reduced visibility for fire aviation operations. If visibility improves, firefighters will utilize helicopters to deliver water drops to slow fire advancement. An increase in helibase activity should prompt Mazama residents and visitors to be aware of increased air traffic. If conditions align, firing operations may begin in order to remove fuels and create a buffer between the northern edge of the fire and natural barriers. Brushing and felling is nearly complete near Billy Goat trailhead and hazardous snags are being removed along the upper section of Eightmile Road. Crews continue scouting further south for existing roads that may be used as...

The 4,400 gallon tender pumps water out of the nearby pond into one of two 1,000 gallon tenders. Those smaller tenders drive to a portatank, fills it, usually 300-500 gallons, and move to another portatank. These two smaller tenders keep the 7 portatanks full. By the time the tender returns to refill the portatank, the portatank is near empty or empty. This continues for the entire shift. Saturday 70,000 gallons of water was put on the fire.The water delivery system pulled from the portatank is known as a progressive hose lay and is similar to an irrigation system. Using a variety of valves, the water is pumped out the main hose eventually to the fire. A large 300-500 gallon portable tank, “portatank”, is filled with water. 1.5 inch hoses are connected to the portatank which act as the main feeder hose. Every 200 feet, a one-inch 100 foot long hose is attached. Each 100-foot hose extends into the fire footprint for wetting and extinguishing the hot embers. When needed more 100...

Smoke: Moderate to heavy smoke will be seen in all station locations. This result with unhealthy air quality. Due to weather the smoke from the fires in British Columbia will not impact the analysis area as directly as in the past days. Smoke from the Diamond Creek Fire will continue to produce smoke in the monitoring area. Fire: Moderate fire behavior with uphill runs and spotting. Other: Low winds will not dissipate the smoke in the area. Visitors to the Pasayten Wilderness are reminded to check conditions before embarking and to register at the trailheads, as this information is critical to timely and effective evacuation, should it be needed. See PDF for

SUIATTLE FIRE MORNING UPDATE NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Richy Harrod, Incident Commander August 6, 2017 Yesterday’s operations: The humidity increase overnight created a good opportunity for crews to attack the fire yesterday morning. Due to the heavy fuels in the area, mop-up has become an extended effort. Personnel worked hard to extend containment lines to 50% and improve existing lines. Hazard trees and active fire areas were significantly decreased throughout the day. Though the terrain is steep and rugged, hotshot crews were able to prevent the fire from moving up the Tenas Creek drainage. Today’s operations: Yesterday’s weather and operations kept the fire in check overnight. Aviation flew the fire last night and gathered an infrared map of any hotspots. The map showed only heat in the interior of the fire, but confirmed that the fire did not grow over night. Today crews are continuing mop up throughout the perimeter to increase containment. Suppression repair...

Update Saturday, August 5, 2017, 0906 Hours Metaline Falls, WA –The Noisy Creek Fire located on Hall Mountain is now approximately 2,740 acres, burning in heavy timber on steep, rugged slopes. Road Closures: · National Forest System Road No. 2200500 closed from its intersection with NFS Road No. 2200 to its terminus at the Hall Mountain Trailhead. · Sullivan Creek Road No. 2200 closed from just past East Sullivan Lake Campground to Pass Creek Pass. · Harvey Creek Road No. 1935 closed between Sullivan Lake Road and the junction with the Onata Creed Road (Road No. 1935 024). Campground Closures: Noisy Creek Campground is closed. Trail Closures: All travel prohibited on the following:· NFS Trails: Lakeshore Trail No. 504· Noisy Creek Trail No. 588· Hall Mountain Trail No. 540· Hall Mountain-Grassy Top Trail No. 533· Grassy Top Trail No. 503 from Pass Creek Pass to its intersection with Hall Mountain-Grassy Top Trail No. 533· Portions of the Pacific NW Trail are rerouted...

SUIATTLE Fire Northwest Incident management Team 12 Richy Harrod, Incident Commander August 6, 2017 Afternoon Update What does containment mean? Firefighters expose swaths of mineral soil with bulldozers or hand tools to stop fire spread. We call this the fireline; however, the fireline may not be able to contain the fire. Firefighters extinguish all the embers or hot-spots near this swath to lower the potential for the fire to escape. This is called mop-up. Firefighters work to make the swath of mopped-up area wider, so that the fireline is more secure. The topography in the fire area influences how wide the fireline swath needs to be. Mature forests require much wider swaths of fireline compared to grass or sage landscapes. A ground fire will quickly burn through mature forests, but will leave unburned material susceptible to re-ignition; for example older trees, stumps, roots, and tree canopies which were dried by the fire. Firefighters consider the fireline to...

Perimeter surrounds fire. Interior hot

Progressive Hose

Regional smoke will continue to reduce visibility today. This condition hampers and often prohibits utilization of aircraft to work on the fire. If visibility improves to safe levels, firefighters plan to utilize helicopters for precision water drops on the southern end of the fire to prevent it from spreading south into Drake Creek. If the conditions are right, firing operations may begin in an attempt to remove fuels and create a large buffer between the northern edge of the fire and natural barriers. Brushing and felling continues on Billy Goat Road near the trailhead, and scouting continues further south for existing roads that may be used as potential fuel breaks. Structure protection assessments are ongoing along the Methow River northwest of the community of Mazama and along the Chewuch River. Fire managers recognize that the Diamond Creek Fire will likely be a long-term event. It is being managed under a suppression strategy using a mixture of direct, indirect, and point...

Aug 4, 2017 The Burnout Road Fire started Tuesday, Aug 1st. It is located 6 miles southeast of the Lost Lake Trailhead of the Larrabee State Park which is 4 miles south of Bellingham on Chuckanut Drive. It is burning on Washington Department of Natural Resources and private land. The cause is still under investigation. The fire size is estimated at 63 acres. We are optimistic we have 60% containment of a perimeter to completely encircle the burn area. The fire is being handle by the Southeast Washington Interagency Type 3 Team 3, Tony Gilmer is the Incident Commander. Presently there are approximately 150 people working the fire. The fire is currently burning in a pre-commercial timber plantation (smaller sapling trees not yet ready for harvesting) and standing timber. [A Team’s critical support function will be better explained later today in a link on the right side of this page.] The roadway into and out of the fire is narrow and we have marked the road every half mile with...

SUIATTLE FIRE UPDATE NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12 Richy Harrod, Incident Commander August 5, 2017 Yesterday’s operations: The smoke layer moderated fire behavior, reducing temperatures by an estimated 10-15 degrees and winds by 5-10 mph compared to the forecast. Jeff Bouschor, Operations Section Chief reported “We had a real good day.” The northern containment line was extended down into the Tenas Creek, and the crews performed a successful burnout. The crews extended the southern containment line into Tenas Creek and set up a hose line with sprinklers. Hand crews continued to mop up along the containment line east of Forest Road 26. Helicopter operations had quick turn-around times and delivered water to critical areas efficiently. Today’s operations: The humidity increased overnight creating a good opportunity for crews to attack the fire this morning. Due to the heavy fuels in the area, mop-up will take an extended effort. The objective is...

Update Friday, August 4, 2017, 1300 Hours Metaline Falls, WA –The Noisy Creek Fire located on Hall Mountain is now approximately 2400 acres, burning in heavy timber on a steep, rugged slope. Closures: NEW: Harvey Creek Road will be temporarily closed for heavy equipment operations from the intersection with Sullivan Lake Road to the junction with Onata Creek to the east. National Forest System (NFS) Road No. 2200500 is closed from its intersection with NFS Road No. 2200 to its terminus at the Hall Mountain Trailhead. Sullivan Creek Road No. 2200 is closed from just past East Sullivan Lake Campground to Pass Creek Pass. Noisy Creek Campground is closed for public and firefighter safety. All travel is prohibited on the following NFS Trails: Lakeshore Trail No. 504; Noisy Creek Trail No. 588; Hall Mountain Trail No. 540; Hall Mountain-Grassy Top Trail No. 533; Grassy Top Trail No. 503 from Pass Creek Pass to its intersection with Hall Mountain-Grassy Top Trail No. 533. Yesterday...

August 4, 2017, 4 P.M. Suiattle Fire Update A thick band of smoke produced by extensive wildfires in British Columbia moved over the Suiattle Fire on Friday. The smoke filtered the sunlight and produced lower temperatures and relative humidity 10 to 15% higher than forecast. These weather conditions reduced fire behavior and allowed firefighters to continue building suppression lines on the east side of the fire from the north and south toward Tenas Creek. On the west, north and south flanks firefighters and equipment continued to strengthen existing lines to protect the Suiattle River Road (FR26) corridor. In-coming Incident Commander Richy Harrod was able to tour the fire area and was impressed by the amount of work accomplished over the past few days. A Cooperator’s Meeting was held at the Mountain Loop Books and Coffee Shop in Darrington, where stakeholders and agency representatives from the local area were updated on the progress of...