InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Rocky Mountain Team Black will be hosting a community informational update on the Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires on Thursday August 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Anatone Community Hall in Anatone, WA. Operations staff will give a brief update on the fire followed by an opportunity for the community to meet with incident managers and agency officials as well as ask questions about the fires. This event will not be livestreamed due to constraints on bandwidth at the meeting

Rocky Mountain Team Black will be hosting a community informational update on the Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires on Thursday August 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Anatone Community Hall in Anatone, WA. Operations staff will give a brief update on the fire followed by an opportunity for the community to meet with incident managers and agency officials as well as ask questions about the fires. This event will not be livestreamed due to constraints on bandwidth at the meeting

 Inchelium, WA – The Summit Trail Fire was started by lightning on July 12, and is burning on the Colville Reservation approximately 17 miles west of Inchelium in terrain that is steep, rough and often difficult to access. Increased humidity and cooler temperatures have temporarily moderated fire behavior. Varying amounts of precipitation fell around the fire area yesterday, restoring some moisture to lighter fuels such as grasses but having minimal effect on heavier fuels such as brush and trees. The rain has also complicated firefighters’ movement around the perimeter as dirt roads became slippery with the moisture.   Yesterday, firefighters built additional sections of containment line along the north and east flanks of the fire and, as of last evening, the Brush Mountain spot fire’s perimeter was nearly surrounded by line. Containment lines are secure on the fire’s southern edges and western flanks; today, firefighters in these areas will do mop-up and patrol. Crews...

New Closure Order Implemented: The Buckhorn Closure Order was implemented yesterday for public safety.  The closure is located east of Chesaw in the Buckhorn Mt. area.    Walker Creek Fire:  Firefighters had a good day yesterday, despite gusty north-northwest winds to achieve three percent containment.  Assisting firefighters were air tankers and heavy helicopters. The fire size remains the same because no infrared mapping flight was conducted last evening. Weather conditions for firefighting will be favorable today with light winds and cooler temperatures.     Today’s activities include fireline construction from the southwest perimeter down to Highway 20, hot spotting west of Lost Lake, constructing indirect line with heavy equipment on the northwest perimeter, connecting the northeast perimeter of the fire into a rock quarry on the Toroda road and extinguishing smokes on the Summer and Bonaparte roads. Structure protection continues in all locations of the fire area....

   Middle Fork Complex Fire Update – Wednesday, August 18, 2021 – 9:00 am Kwis Fire: Kwis fire held within its existing footprint again yesterday. Mop up and patrol are ongoing.  Unburned islands of trees and other vegetation in the interior areas will continue to burn for many days. Helicopters dropped bucket loads of water to check any spread from the interior burning, and firefighters are going in today to look for further opportunities to secure the fire perimeter.  Last night, a flare up was visible for about an hour as one of those interior islands burned.  Hazardous trees along roadways are being identified and felled.  The fire area is still very dangerous with many hazards and people not associated with the firefighting efforts are asked to heed the closed road signs and the Forest Closure Order.  Gales and Ninemile Fires: The Gales and Ninemile Fires are about seven miles south of Highway 126 and 11 miles north of Westfir, Oregon.  The fires are burning in...

Tuesday's Showers Help Firefighters Extinguish FiresCANYONVILLE, Ore. – Tuesday's light precipitation and cooler temperatures helped calm the Skyline Ridge Complex. The finer fuels that usually ignite easily were too wet to burn. Some of the moisture was able to reach pockets of heat, cooling them. Sometimes this created smoke or steam, helping firefighters find the hot spots.While the flammability of smaller fuels changes quickly with any rain or increase in humidity, larger fuels need much more moisture to make them harder to burn. Much of what's burning on these fires is large rotting logs lying on the ground. These will continue to take a lot of work to cool, including cutting open burning sections, scraping away layers of coals, and mixing coals with water and dirt to extinguish them.Firefighters continue making good progress mopping up hot areas on the fires. They are taking advantage of the natural moisture and the cooler temperatures, On the Poole Creek Fire, crews cooled...

   Size: 7,072 acres Total Personnel: 300                                                                  Containment: 0% Cause: Under investigation Structures Threatened: 772 Structures Lost: 1   The Twentyfive Mile Fire was first reported at 3:45 p.m. on August 15, 2021. The fire was initially burning on the south shore of Lake Chelan near Twentyfive Mile Creek and has expanded south and west of the area. The fire is under joint jurisdiction of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington Department of Natural Resources and Chelan County Fire District 7.   A Type 3 Incident Management Team led by Incident Commander Escobar took command of the firefighting response at 6:00 a.m. August 16. Additional resources are continuing to arrive. A Type 1 Incident Management Team has been ordered and is expected to arrive Thursday.    The fire continues to burn in timber, brush and grass. The fire...

New Closure Order Implemented: The Buckhorn Closure Order was implemented yesterday for public safety.  The closure is located east of Chesaw in the Buckhorn Mt. area.    Walker Creek Fire:  Firefighters had a good day yesterday, despite gusty north-northwest winds to achieve three percent containment.  Assisting firefighters were air tankers and heavy helicopters. The fire size remains the same because no infrared mapping flight was conducted last evening. Weather conditions for firefighting will be favorable today with light winds and cooler temperatures.     Today’s activities include fireline construction from the southwest perimeter down to Highway 20, hot spotting west of Lost Lake, constructing indirect line with heavy equipment on the northwest perimeter, connecting the northeast perimeter of the fire into a rock quarry on the Toroda road and extinguishing smokes on the Summer and Bonaparte roads. Structure protection continues in all locations of the fire area....

Bull Complex Fire Update August 18, 2021 Fire Information Line: 503-668-1437 For Immediate Release   Announcement: Virtual community meeting scheduled for Friday August 20, 2021 via Zoom.   Overview: On Tuesday a reconnaissance flight with a Type 3 Helicopter was conducted to monitor for potential spot fires to the northeast of the fire as a result of increased fire activity on Monday. Reconnaissance flights help identify potential spot fires in rugged steep terrain with limited access decreasing risk to firefighter safety.   Yesterday’s Activities: Lower temperatures and increased cloud coverage and humidity resulted in moderated fire behavior. These conditions provided firefighters a great opportunity to construct indirect containment lines. The south side of the fire continues to hold along Forest Road 4696 and Forest Road 4688. Crews actively monitored the spot fire located approximately 1-mile to the east along Forest Road 4671. Additional spot fires were not discovered...

Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fire UpdateWednesday, August 18, 2021, 10:00 a.m. Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team BlackTroy Hagan, Incident Commander Green Ridge Fire Statistics:Size:  38,410 acres Containment:  26% Total Personnel: 541Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: LightningLick Creek Fire Statistics:Size:  80,421 acres Containment:  97% Total Personnel: 27Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: Lightning  Cooler, Wetter Weather Expected to Calm Fire BehaviorCurrent Situation: Green Ridge Fire: Yesterday, containment on the Green Ride increased to 26%. The additional containment line was added along the Rattle Snake Fire burn scar in Division K on the north end of the fire and to the west on the 22 (4022) Road in Division M. The fire is currently 38,410 acres. The fire’s growth yesterday was primarily on the south side of the fire in Division S. The fire continued to burn to the south along...

Lakeview, OR – Overnight temperatures dropped down to 36 degrees as fire crews worked hard to plumb and strengthen lines around the Patton Meadow Fire. With dry and windy conditions gusting up to 32mph, some fire crossed the fire line on the northwest corner of the fire at Patton Meadow, but quick response by crews kept the fire from spreading any further.Operations Section Chief John Pellissier was upbeat at this morning’s briefing, saying “everyone’s happy with where we’re at right now and that lines are very secure.” Crews are preparing for burnout operations to further secure the fire line on the north side.On the south side of the fire, crews continue mop-up operations from the current 50 feet up to 100 or 150 feet into the perimeter to keep the fire from crossing containment lines. “Lines are in and water is flowing,” added Pellissier, in regard to perimeter lines along Highway 140 on the fire’s south side.Most of the remaining heat on the fire is along the...

Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fire UpdateWednesday, August 18, 2021, 10:00 a.m. Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team BlackTroy Hagan, Incident Commander Green Ridge Fire Statistics:Size:  38,410 acres Containment:  26% Total Personnel: 541Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: Lightning Lick Creek Fire Statistics:Size:  80,421 acres Containment:  97% Total Personnel: 27Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: Lightning  Cooler, Wetter Weather Expected to Calm Fire BehaviorCurrent Situation: Green Ridge Fire: Yesterday, containment on the Green Ride increased to 26%. The additional containment line was added along the Rattle Snake Fire burn scar in Division K on the north end of the fire and to the west on the 22 (4022) Road in Division M. The fire is currently 38,410 acres. The fire’s growth yesterday was primarily on the south side of the fire in Division S. The fire continued to burn to the south along...

 Smoke Outlook As expected, reduced air temperatures and higher humidity minimized fire activity and smoke production yesterday. As high pressure builds over the area, a shift in winds is anticipated. A north to northwest flow combined with warming and drying will bring increasing periods of smoke to the forecast area for the next couple of days. West of the Cascades overall Good air quality is on tap for today. Oakridge and McKenzie Bridge will experience Moderate and USG conditions midday as the inversion breaks and mixing to the surface occurs. In the overnight hours, smoke aloft will settle into the valleys and higher concentrations can be expected for locations near and downwind of active wildfires fires. East of the Cascades, communities from Bend to La Pine will see Good air quality for most of the day. Smokier conditions in the late afternoon with periods of Moderate to USG possible as a result of regional smoke impacts from fires to the

Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 assumes command as additional resources are anticipated to assist in firefighting operations Ford Corkscrew Fire Daily Update August 18, 2021Acres:  14,000 acresPersonnel: 125Cause: Under InvestigationContainment: 0%Start Date: Sunday, August 15, 2021Location: Ford, WAFuels:  Timber (grass and understory); brush (2 feet)Announcement:  The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 assumed command of the Ford Corkscrew Fire as of 6am, August 18, 2021. The team looks forward to building on the success of Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 1, as well as continuing to work closely with local partners. Evacuation orders remain in effect. Residents are encouraged to sign up for alerts from the Stevens County Sherriff’s Office via Hyper-Reach and follow the Northeast Washington Fire Information Facebook page (links available in “More Information” section, below).Overview: Yesterday, crews on the Ford Corkscrew Fire...

 This is the last update for the Bruler Fire, August 18, 2021. Command has been transferred back to the local unit and crews are continuing to focus on suppression activities. We are asking the public to respect the remaining closure area and to stay updated on all closures by visiting https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/willamette/alerts-notices. Even though the closure has been reduced, the public may still be asked to leave the area if fire activity increases. For any future updates, please visit https://www.facebook.com/willamettenf. You may also call Sweet Home Ranger Station at (541) 367-5168 for information on the fire and recreation questions. Thank

 Email:  2021.blackbutte@firenet.gov Phone: 425-324-1267 (8am - 6pm) InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7770 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2021-Black-Butte-Fire-112941407659373 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MalheurNF   Acres: 21,237                                                                                                  Number of Personnel: 570 Percent Containment: 30%                                                Cause: Lightning Date/Time Detected: August 3, 2021, 10:00 a.m.        Origin/Location: South of Unity, Oregon   John Day, OR – Fire operations on the Black Butte Fire went well yesterday.  East of the North Fork Malheur River and south towards Black Butte, crews patrolled and mopped up, strengthening the containment line.  Air resources assisted with water drops on hotspots within the...

 Cedar Creek, Cub Creek 2 and Delancy FiresDaily Update August 18, 2021   Winthrop, WA — The Cedar Creek, Cub Creek 2 and Delancy Fires are burning on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and public and private lands within Okanogan County.   Fire Information Line: 509-557-0740 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily)   Cedar Creek Fire: The fire is currently 54,261 acres and 50% contained. Forward spread has been halted on the north flank as well as on the southeast side. Two areas of heat have been a particular focus; the first on the north end of the fire is slowly burning out. The second, in Wolf Creek may require further intervention. Firefighters are assessing options to address the area. Indirect contingency line construction will continue along the Twisp River. Today firefighters will continue mopping up direct line from Thompson Ridge to Road 4415 and Helispot 15.   Cub Creek 2 Fire: The Cub Creek Fire is 69,678 acres and 65% contained. Fire activity on the west side of the...

 Cedar Creek, Cub Creek 2 and Delancy FiresDaily Update August 18, 2021   Winthrop, WA — The Cedar Creek, Cub Creek 2 and Delancy Fires are burning on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and public and private lands within Okanogan County.   Fire Information Line: 509-557-0740 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily)   Cedar Creek Fire: The fire is currently 54,261 acres and 50% contained. Forward spread has been halted on the north flank as well as on the southeast side. Two areas of heat have been a particular focus; the first on the north end of the fire is slowly burning out. The second, in Wolf Creek may require further intervention. Firefighters are assessing options to address the area. Indirect contingency line construction will continue along the Twisp River. Today firefighters will continue mopping up direct line from Thompson Ridge to Road 4415 and Helispot 15.   Cub Creek 2 Fire: The Cub Creek Fire is 69,678 acres and 65% contained. Fire activity on the west side of the...

 Muckamuck Fire Update  August 18, 2021  Fire Information: (509) 202-4184  Email: 2021.muckamuck@firenet.gov   Start Date: August 4, 2021    Cause: Lightning    Size: 10,867 acres    Containment: 5% Location: Approximately three miles northeast of Conconully Resources Assigned:  150 personnel approximately 400 other personnel shared by Cub Fire   Current Situation: Strong winds from the north with gusts up to 35 mph impacted the fire area yesterday. Firefighters, with the help of aviation assets, were able to hold the fire and no significant growth occurred. Fire behavior was very active with surface fire, some short range spotting and crown fire runs backing into the wind. Dozers worked to construct line west of Mineral Hill and firefighters prepared for structure defense in the town. No homes have been destroyed but the threat to the 387 homes in the area will remain until the established lines along the fire’s edge can be controlled around and...