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Fire Update – Tuesday, September 15, 2015Today, firefighters are completing indirect line in the Three Creek area, a tributary of the Entiat River. This location is the most active part of the Wolverine Fire. In addition to steep and rugged terrain, crews are facing the additional challenge of cooler and wetter weather, fewer hours of daylight, and the increased presence of bears. Nonetheless, in some areas, firefighters are pulling pumps and stacking hose. Structures wrapped with a fire-shelter type material are being unwrapped. Pumps, hoses and other “water plumbing” laid around structures are being pulled. Fire equipment stationed in Lake Chelan areas has or is being returned by boat. The process of repairing lines is also underway in earnest. Berms are being pulled back, and water bars are being constructed in areas of bare soil to re-channel water flow. One helicopter has been reassigned to another incident. That leaves three helicopters today to drop water as needed if...

Fire Update Monday, September 14, 2015, PM Carpenter Road Fire – Fruitland, Washington Location: 35 miles NW of Spokane, WA; Information Center: (509) 722-6010 or (509) 722-6040 Incident Commander: Doug Johnson Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4549/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarpenterRoadFire Washington Smoke Information: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ This will be the last Carpenter Road Fire Update from Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3 (Oregon Team 3). A Type 3 organization, with unified incident commanders Roger Brandom and Adam Barnes, will assume command of the Carpenter Road Fire at 6 am tomorrow morning. The Incident Command Post will remain at the Fruitland Bible Camp. Oregon Team 3 wishes to thank the Spokane Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Spokane District Bureau of Land Management; Washington Department of Natural Resources; Stevens County Fire Protection Districts; multiple partners; and surrounding communities for the great cooperation...

Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days gave way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The passing dry cold front will bring much cooler temperatures and breezy conditions and there is a chance of rain by Wednesday. Upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Monday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Air quality will range anywhere from good to unhealthy for sensitive groups in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The North Star is at 215,406 acres, Tunk Block 163,096 acres, Okanogan Complex 133,142 acres. Caution: Potential smoke on highway 21, expected to clear by the afternoon; use caution. Click on "Related Information" to the right to open a PDF version of the entire Air Quality

Información para el diá 14 septiembre 2015A pesar de que el día de ayer se reportaron “humos de fuego” se determinó que eran remolinos de polvo, hubo cambios mínimos en los perímetros del fuego con algunos combustibles no quemados que arden en el interior continúan ardiendo y humean ocasionalmente. Con humedad más alta y la previsión de viento más baja, se espera que el comportamiento del fuego sea más moderado y las condiciones más favorables para que el fuego disminuya. Aeronaves volarán conforme sea necesario y cuando las condiciones lo permitan. Se le pide al público a ser consciente de los cierres de bosques nacionales y de carreteras, y verificar las condiciones actuales antes de salir. Vea los números de teléfono de oficinas y sitios web de abajo. Wolverine Fire: Cinco cuadrillas de mano, 11 camiones de bombero, 13 bulldozers (excavadoras) y 10 tanques de agua están asignados al incendio Wolverine en la actualidad. El enfoque principal es en el flanco...

Información actualizada sobre el Incendio Okanogan Complex 14 de Septiembre 2015 – 9:00 a.m. Para información sobre los incendios: 877-568-0458 o 877-574-5148, 7:00 AM- 9:00 PM Tamaño: 133,118 acres Cálculo aproximado de costo a la fecha: $40.8 millón Contención: 85 por ciento Heridos/Lesionados: 7 Total de Personal: 631 Residencias dañadas o destruidas: 120 Recursos Asignados: 14 cuadrillas, 34 camiones de bombero, 5 helicópteros, 8 excavadoras, 18 tanques de agua, 5 demoledores SITUACION ACTUAL DEL INCENDIO Ayer, el fuego estuvo moderadamente activo de nuevo al norte de montaña Buck mientras se quemaba hacia la calle Forest (FR) 42. Al sur de Peacock Medows, algunas islas interiores de árboles a ambos lados de la calle Loup Loup Canyon continuaron ardiendo. Las cuadrillas descubrieron y contuvieron un área nueva de fuego de dos acres cerca FR 300, esto fue como resultado de las condiciones meteorológicas (clima) extremas del sábado....

September 14, 2015, 9:00 AMFire Information: 877-568-0458 or 877-574-5148, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM Size: 133,118 acres Estimated Cost to Date: $40.8 million Containment: 85 percent Injuries: 7 Total Personnel: 631 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 120 Committed Resources: 14 crews, 34 engines, 5 helicopters, 8 dozers, 18 water tenders, 5 masticators CURRENT FIRE SITUATION Yesterday, the fire was moderately active again north of Buck Mountain as it burned toward Forest Road (FR) 42. South of Peacock Meadow, some interior islands of trees on both sides of the Loup Loup Canyon Road continued to burn. Crews discovered and contained a two-acre spot fire near FR 300, the result of Saturday’s extreme weather. Okanogan Complex firefighters joined the Conconully Fire Department and a DNR crew to respond to a new fire start near the junction of FR 42 and FR 420. The fire is less than one acre. Although the cause is under investigation,...

Fire Update - Monday, September 14, 2015 - 9:00 a.m. Despite reports yesterday of dust devils being called in as fire smokes, there was minimal change in the fire’s perimeter, with some unburned fuels in the interior continuing to smolder and put up occasional smoke. With higher humidity and lower wind forecast, fire behavior is expected to be more subdued and conditions more favorable for fire behavior to decrease. Aircraft will fly as needed and as conditions allow. The public is asked to be aware of national forest and road closures, and to check current conditions before heading out. See office phone numbers and websites below. Wolverine Fire: Five hand crews, 11 engines, 13 dozers and 10 water tenders are assigned to Wolverine today. The primary focus is on the south flank near Three Creek drainage, a tributary of the Entiat River. Line construction will continue, along with helicopter water drops to prevent fire from spreading south over the ridge toward...

Moderate weather provides opportunity to develop

“Yesterday was a good day for our firefighters. Even though we had higher wind gusts along the ridgetops, the fire held in place and continues to slowly burn down to Saint Luise Creek,” said Incident Commander Bob Allbee. “The high winds predicted with our Red Flag Warning for yesterday were felt along the ridgetops but they did not get down into our deeper canyons.” A deeper low pressure system is expected to move across the Cascades this afternoon. This could reinforce the cooler temperatures and could bring some very light rain to the fire late in the afternoon or early evening. Temperatures should be down another 5-10 degrees. You may see helicopters dipping water out of the river near the Gold Creek area again today. These helicopters are being used to help slow the fire as it backs down into Saint Luise Creek. Please exercise caution when driving Highway 153 in that area. Smoke coming off the fire yesterday, was transported up and out of the area. The smoke from this...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Monday September 14, 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov), Air Resource Advisor & Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days gave way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The passing dry cold front will bring much cooler temperatures and breezy conditions and there is a chance of rain by Wednesday. Upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Monday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Air quality will range anywhere from good to unhealthy for sensitive groups in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The North Star is at 215,406 acres, Tunk Block 163,096 acres, Okanogan Complex 133,142 acres. Caution: Potential smoke on highway 21, expected to clear by the afternoon; use caution. Extended Outlook: Cooler temperatures and...

Fire Update Monday, September 14, 2015, AM Carpenter Road Fire – Fruitland, Washington Location: 35 miles NW of Spokane, WA; Information Center: (509) 722-6010 or (509) 722-6040 Incident Commander: Doug Johnson Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4549/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarpenterRoadFire Washington Smoke Information: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ Current Situation The fire perimeter encompasses 63,972 acres, nearly 100 square miles, and is 95% contained. Change is a key word for the coming week. Cooler temperatures and an increasing probability of precipitation are anticipated as the week progresses. Such conditions should be favorable for making the fire perimeter more secure. The second change is the departure of Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3 which will be replaced by a smaller organization. Sufficient progress has been made to downsize the forces required to complete the remaining work. Today, the new organization’s leadership will...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Monday September 14, 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov), Air Resource Advisor & Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days gave way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The passing dry cold front will bring much cooler temperatures and breezy conditions and there is a chance of rain by Wednesday. Upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Monday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Air quality will range anywhere from good to unhealthy for sensitive groups in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The North Star is at 215,406 acres, Tunk Block 163,096 acres, Okanogan Complex 133,142 acres. Caution: Potential smoke on highway 21, expected to clear by the afternoon; use caution. Extended Outlook: Cooler temperatures and with a...

Tunk Block Complex Fire Update 9-14-15 8:00 a.m. Tunk Block Fire: Firefighters made good progress securing a difficult containment line in the fire’s rugged northeast corner between Bannon and Tunk Mountains. Crews continued to construct fire line in the large unburned “island” between Powers Butte and Omak Mountain. These efforts will continue over the next several days. Today crews will continue to mop up any remaining heat near containment lines. Suppression repair has begun. Both Fires: The Tunk Block and North Star Fires are both very large. The fires combined are over 590 square miles. That is four times the size of the city of Seattle or about the size of the city of Los Angles. It is approximately 590 miles from Seattle to Helena, MT. Interior islands and pockets will continue to smolder and burn for the next several weeks. People should not be surprised to see smoke from these areas. A night shift will be patrolling the fire areas and available to respond to any...

North Star Fire Update 9-14-15 North Star Fire: The crews inserted by helicopter on the top of the cliffs east of Highway 21 near Bear Creek constructed direct line and made good progress today. These efforts will continue for several days. The fire near Barrett Butte “fell off” the cliffs and progressed to Highway 21. There were no spots across highway 21. Firefighters are constructing direct line on the fire’s edge east of Swan Butte. Suppression repair has begun. Both Fires: The Tunk Block and North Star Fires are both very large. The fires combined are over 590 square miles. That is four times the size of the city of Seattle or about the size of the city of Los Angles. It is approximately 590 miles from Seattle to Helena, MT. Interior islands and pockets will continue to smolder and burn for the next several weeks. People should not be surprised to see smoke from these areas. A night shift will be patrolling the fire areas and available to respond to any reports of flare...

ORDER NO. 952 EMERGENCY ROAD CLOSURE OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50 (a) and (b) the following acts are prohibited on designated portions of National Forest System (NFS) Lands and Trails of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as described below and shown on the attached map: 1. USE BY ANY TYPE OF TRAFFIC ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM ROADS LISTED BELOW AND SHOWN ON EXHIBIT A. For the purpose of this order, any type of travel is prohibited on the following National Forest Roads due to fire: a. Forest Service Road 1600 including all forest spur roads connecting to the 1600 Road. b. Forest Service Road 1500 at east Forest Boundary to the junction of Forest Service Road 199 (Cash Prairie). Including all forest spur roads connecting to the 1500 between referenced points. [36 CFR 261.54 (b)] This order is effective beginning on the date signed below and will remain in effect until rescinded. Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.54(b), the following persons are exempt...

Naches, WA— Naches Ranger District has one active wildfire burning approximately 30 miles west of Yakima off of State Route 410, in the Meeks Table area. Fire equipment and crews will be in the area of Forest Roads 1605 and 1611 and need roads clear in order to provide safe access and departure from the fire. In addition, the Naches Ranger District is planning to officially close Forest Road 1600 and 1500 systems from the eastern forest boundary to Bethel Ridge. The closure includes the Rattlesnake area, the area to the west of Devil’s Table and east of Meek’s Table and area south of Forest Road 1600, Clover Springs. District Fire Management is asking for your help to contact your family and friends by phone that may be camped in the area to notify them to leave the area right away. “Our first concern is for firefighter and public safety,” said Kelly Lawrence, District Ranger. “That is why we are asking all campers to pack up and quickly get out of the affected area.”...

Current SituationThe fire perimeter encompasses 63,972 acres, nearly 100 square miles, and is 95% contained. Change is a key word for the coming week. The hot dry conditions Friday and Saturday provided fire managers with a good test of their containment lines and the lines held without incident. Cooler temperatures and an increasing probability of precipitation are anticipated as the week progresses. Such conditions should be favorable for making the fire perimeter more secure. The second change is the departure of Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3 which will be replaced by a smaller organization. Sufficient progress has been made to downsize the forces required to complete the remaining work. Monday, the new organization’s leadership will accompany their counterparts to familiarize themselves with the conditions and work at hand. Tuesday, the new organization will assume full responsibility for continuing operations commonly referred to as a “transition”. Despite...

There is a Red Flag Warning today for high winds and low relative humidity. We could see cooler temperatures by 5-10 degrees, but there can be ridgetop wind gusts of 30-35 mph this morning dropping down to 20 mph gusts this afternoon. Firefighters are expecting increased fire behavior today with those increased winds. You may see helicopters dipping water out of the river near the Gold Creek area. Please exercise caution when driving Highway 153 in that area. Increased smoke was observed in the Method Valley yesterday. The smoke from this fire was coming from islands of unburned fuels slowly burning out in the interior near Saint Luise Creek. Due to steep and rugged terrain, the northwest side of the fire is proving difficult to access and establish anchor points. The fire will continue to be monitored in the Saint Luise Creek area off the southern portion of headwaters of the South Fork of Gold Creek. Crews will continue to patrol on the south and southeast side of the fire...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires-Friday September 13 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov) , Air Resource Advisor Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days is giving way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The front will bring lower temperatures and breezy conditions. There is a are going to chance of rain by Wednesday. The upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Sunday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Surface inversions are going to a little bit longer to break, so smoke may linger until early afternoon. Air quality will range anywhere from good to very unhealthy in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The smoke that was seen yesterday was from firing operations, so there is little change in the total size of the fires. The North Star is at 212,648 acres, Tunk Block 162,840 acres, Okanogan Complex 132,937 acres. ...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires-Friday September 13 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov) , Air Resource Advisor Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days is giving way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The front will bring lower temperatures and breezy conditions. There is a are going to chance of rain by Wednesday. The upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Sunday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Surface inversions are going to a little bit longer to break, so smoke may linger until early afternoon. Air quality will range anywhere from good to very unhealthy in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The smoke that was seen yesterday was from firing operations, so there is little change in the total size of the fires. The North Star is at 212,648 acres, Tunk Block 162,840 acres, Okanogan Complex 132,937 acres. ...