InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Diamond Creek Fire remains about 100 acres this morning. The fire is burning in the steep slopes of the Diamond Creek drainage, east of where it intersects with Lost River. It is about four air miles from the Billy Goat Trailhead. Eight smokejumpers have been deployed from the North Cascades Smokejumper Base and are being supported by helicopters. Additional handcrews have been ordered to support the confine and contain suppression strategy. Diamond Creek Fire is suspected to be human caused, as there was no lightning detected for the area. It was first noticed Saturday night by a hiker who then made his way to a ridgetop to report it on Sunday morning. This morning, fire behavior is moderate and the fie is burning in heavy accumulations of dead and down trees in a spruce and fir forest where the tree tops are close together, or touching (closed canopy). Winds that pushed fire growth yesterday are expected again this afternoon as are similar high temperatures and low...

Winthrop, WA — Eight smokejumpers were deployed this morning from the North Cascades Smokejumper Base to suppress a small fire in the Pasayten Wilderness. The Diamond Creek fire has grown to 100 acres since then and is continuing to spread to the east/southeast. Incident Commander Inaki Baraibar reports that the fire is making short runs this afternoon and firefighters are seeing some short range spotting. Spotting is where hot embers from the fire are cast out in front of the fire and ignite small spot fires to the front of the main blaze. The Diamond Creek Fire is being pushed by this evening’s gusty winds and smoke from the fire is visible to Methow Valley Residents. The Forest Service is establishing closures to provide for public and firefighter safety. Billy Goat Trailhead is closed, as are the Hidden Lakes Trail (#477), Larch Creek Trail (#502) and the Drake Trail (#502A) #END#

Update: Saturday, July 22, 20171300 HoursMetaline Falls, WA –The Noisy Creek Fire on the southwest side of Hall Mountain is now 210 acres, burning in heavy timber on a steep, rugged slope. Smoke is visible from Sullivan Lake recreation area.Closures: 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. Noisy Creek Campground is closed for public and firefighter safety. All travel is prohibited on the following National Forest System (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: Firefighters continued working in steep and rugged terrain to keep the fire north of Noisy Creek as the fire is backing down Hall Mountain. Although no structures are threatened at this time crews continuing...

Update: Friday, July 21, 2017 1300 Hours Metaline Falls, WA –The Noisy Creek Fire on the southwest side of Hall Mountain is now 170 acres, burning in heavy timber on a steep, rugged slope. Smoke is visible from Sullivan Lake recreation area. Closures: 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. Noisy Creek Campground is closed for public and firefighter safety. All travel is prohibited on the following National Forest System (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 the overall fire behavior was moderate with no significant growth. Firefighting crews continue to hold the fire line at Noisy Creek on the south end of the fire perimeter and crews are preparing for fire...

Incident Commander: Kevin Griffee and Don Melton (t) Western Washington Incident Management Type 3 Team Dry Creek Fire Update for Wednesday, July 19, 2017 Fire at a Glance Containment: 94% Location: Five miles north of Husum, WA Personnel: 208 Cause: Under investigation Resources: 12 Crews 8 Engines 2 Water tenders Evacuations: There are no evacuations in effect at this time Burn Ban: An outdoor burn ban remains in effect for Klickitat County from July 1 through September 30, 2017 The Western Washington Type 3 Team will be turning over the command of the Dry Creek Fire to the local Type 4 team at 6:00 am Thursday, July 20, 2017. The Western Washington Incident Management Type 3 Team wants to say thank you to the community for their support and a special thanks to the White Salmon School District for allowing the Incident Management Teams to use the school as their Incident Command Post. We know our...

Incident Commander: Kevin Griffee and Don Melton (T) Western Washington Incident Management Type 3 Team Dry Creek Fire Update for Tuesday 7/18/17 Fire at a Glance Containment: 94% Location: Five miles north of Husum, WA Personnel: 255 Cause: Under investigation Resources: 16 Crews 8 Engines 1 Dozer 5 Water tenders Evacuations: There are no evacuations in effect at this time Burn Ban: An outdoor burn ban remains in effect for Klickitat County from July 1 through September 30, 2017 The Western Washington Type 3 Team had its first day in command of the Dry Creek Fire. Activities on the fire line will continue to focus on mop up and completing the remaining tasks to secure the fire within its existing perimeter. Some smoke could still be visible from State Route 141. Fire crews are monitoring any remaining hot spots. Motorists are advised to reduce speeds and be aware that there are firefighters and equipment still...

Today marks the beginning of the transition in command from Team 6 to a local Washington Type 3 team commanded by Kevin Griffee. Supervisors from both teams worked side-by-side on the transition. Incident Commander Griffee’s organization took command of the Dry Creek Fire this morning Monday 7/17/17. Activities on the fire line will continue to focus on mop up and completing the remaining tasks to secure this fire within its existing perimeter. People passing by could still see some smoke within the fire perimeter. Fire crews are monitoring any remaining hot spots. State Route 141 is open without restrictions. Motorists are strongly advised to reduce speeds and be vigilant for firefighters and equipment as they pass through the fire area (mileposts 14 to 17). The Incident Command teams that have been attached to this fire are extremely appreciative of the support and cooperation extended by local officials and residents of the affected communities. Precaution message:...

The team is actively burning on the northern end of the fire to help contain the fire's growth. The idea is to eliminate fuels by burning small areas before the larger fire can consume them for its own

A Fire Boss is a fixed wing aircraft used in wildland fire suppression. Technically it is a Type III SEAT (Single Engine Air Tanker), AT-802.A Fire Boss’s empty weight is 6,505 lbs, with a gross weight of 16,000 lbs. It has an 820 gallon tank, located in the fuselage, for either water or retardant. The aircraft typically is equipped with extra large pontoon floats and carries water, not retardant.The cruise speed is 221 mph, a range of 800 miles, and a rate of climb of 850 ft/min. They have 3 hours of fuel on board. Only six are produced per year. They first flew in 2002 and there are approximately 70 flying today. The SEAT equipped with a turboprop and is operated by only one pilot. The cost is $3 million per plane.When used for wildfire suppression, they fly in pairs, requiring either a wide river or a lake to collect water. A total of 5,000 ft is needed for approach, skimming the water scooping it up, and departure. It takes between 1800 ft to 2400 ft to fill the tank. At higher...

Downloaded Under "Photographs"

Dry Creek Fire Update July 15, 2017 The fire is located on Washington State Department of Natural Resources and private timber company lands in southern Klickitat County. State Route 141 is open without restrictions. Motorists are strongly advised to reduce speeds and be vigilant for firefighters and equipment as they pass through the fire area (mileposts 14 to 17). Hot, dry conditions yesterday afternoon resulted in more visible smokes within the interior of the burn; however, none posed a threat to the perimeter. Crews worked diligently to extend completed mop up both in width and perimeter coverage. An estimated eight miles of fire hose extended along the fire line delivered thousands of gallons of water during the day to aid firefighters in their efforts. Fire supervisors were pleased with the hard work and steady progress being made. Forecasts indicate a variable weather pattern over the next three days. The positive aspect of that is maximum temperatures may fall as...

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS ADDED.THIS IS LAST

Northwest Incident Management Team 6 Shawn Sheldon, Incident Commander Dry Creek Fire Update July 14, 2017 The fire is located on Washington State Department of Natural Resources and private timber company lands in southern Klickitat County. State Route 141 remains open with a pilot car escort. The pilot car is scheduled to be discontinued at 2 p.m. today. Reduced speeds and extra caution while traveling through the fire area are still recommended. The combination of heavier weekend traffic and firefighting activity call for increased vigilance. Yesterday continued a predictable, repetitive pattern—mop up and more mop up. Once a fire’s growth is stopped, the objective is to establish a band of “cold black” within the fire’s perimeter. “Cold black” is firefighter shorthand for a combination of completely consumed fuel (black) and no flame or heat in the remaining fuels (cold). This hard, dirty, tedious work is essential to reasonably reducing the potential for the...

The fire is located on Washington State Department of Natural Resources and private timber company lands in southern Klickitat County. About half of the fire burned through a mixture of young trees, brush and grass. The remainder is larger trees with a brushy understory. State Route 141 is open. A pilot car will escort traffic through the fire area from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Overnight night there will be no escort. Motorists are asked to be extra alert for firefighters and equipment on or near the highway and to not stop in the fire area, especially at night. Yesterday’s warm, dry conditions provided a good test of how successful firefighters have been. Isolated pockets of heat on the interior continued to smolder, but no problems were encountered. Additionally, water tanks, pumps and hoses installed along the entire perimeter improved firefighters’ effectiveness in extinguishing remaining hot spots. Hand-held infra-red sensors were also used overnight to detect and extinguish heat in...

Dry Creek Fire For Immediate Release Effective Immediately All Level 2 Evacuation Levels, have been reduced to Level 1. All Level 1 Evacuation Levels will remain in effect at this

The fire is located on Washington State Department of Natural Resources and private timber company lands in southern Klickitat County. About half of the fire burned through a mixture of young trees, brush and grass. The remainder is larger trees with a brushy understory. State Route 141 reopened yesterday with a pilot car escorting traffic through the fire area. Firefighter and public safety remains the highest priority. Motorists are asked to be alert for firefighters and equipment on or near the highway and to not stop in the fire area. Fire activity on Tuesday continued to decrease for a third consecutive day. Fire crews focused on installing and using water tanks, pumps and hoses to douse remaining hot spots around the perimeter of the burned area. The goal is to establish a buffer of reduced fuels (either completely consumed or extinguished) within the containment lines to reasonably assure the fire will not escape. Fire managers were pleased with the progress being...

Immediate Release Highway 141 near Dry Creek Fire in Klickitat County is now open to traffic led by a pilot car between Mile Marker 14 and Mile Marker 17. Expect delays. To increase safety, motorists are asked to keep their vehicle lights on, follow close together and not slow down or stop to take photos. Recreational access to White Salmon River remains closed from BZ Corner Boat Launch north to Warner Road and Sunnyside Road. All evacuation notice levels are still in effect. Also, the Information phone number has been changed. The new number is 509-493-2309. This new number will remain throughout the

Aircraft flew an infrared heat-sensing flight over the Dry Creek Fire last night, which has resulted in better mapping and a revised acreage of 322. The fire area is located in a portion of Section 33, Township 5 north, Range 10 East. About half of the fire area consists of young tree stands with brush, grass and understory. The fire site is owned and managed by private landowners and the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Firefighter, public and aviation safety remains the fire team’s number one priority. Fire behavior yesterday was described as moderate with some backing, creeping and isolated flaring. Fire continues to back down into the drainages and make short uphill runs. The primary fuels are timber, understory, litter and brush. Crews last night finished building line around the entire fire and held and patrolled previously built line. Some night crews are being rolled over to day shift. Today’s operations will focus on securing fire line...