InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Closures: Traffic is limited to local traffic only beyond milepost 8 along the Alcoa/Malaga Highway. Additionally, Palisades Road is closed to all but resident traffic beginning at Highway 28. There are no other closures in place at this time for either the Spartan or Sutherland Canyon

Evacuations: Level 2 evacuation levels remain in place for the Spartan Fire along Colockum Road, Kingsbury Road, Moses Carr Road, Ingersoll Road, and Tarpiscan Road. Level 2 means to be ready to leave in an instant. There are approximately 80 structures threatened in this area. Level 1 evacuations are in place for the Sutherland Canyon Fire from the Columbia River to milepost 10 along the Palisade Road corridor. There are approximately 24 structures threatened. There have been no reported loss or damages to structures on either fire. Closures: Traffic is limited to local traffic only beyond milepost 8 along the Alcoa/Malaga Highway. There are no other closures in place at this time for either the Spartan or Sutherland Canyon Fires. Fire Information: Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5282 Text Message: text “follow ChelanCountyEM” to 40404 Facebook: facebook.com/ChelanCountyEM Twitter: twitter.com/ChelanCountyEM Fire Information Phone: 541-612-0642 #SpartanFire...

Eric Riener -Incident Commander Tuesday June 27, 2017 Fire: Spartan Fire Containment: 10% Acres: 4,500 Start Date: June 26, 2017 Cause: Unknown Location: 5 miles SE of Wenatchee, WA Total Personnel: 160 Fuels/Topography: Grass, brushy fuels Spartan Fire Summary: Overnight handcrews and dozers successfully held the fire to the north of Colockum Road and west of Alcoa Highway. The most active fire spread was reported to the southwest. Today, with the return of dry, windy conditions, firefighters and multiple air resources will continue to build fireline and engage the fire when it is safe to do so. Firefighters will use existing roads, dozer lines, water drops and natural features wherever possible to limit future fire spread in this area. Fire: Sutherland Canyon Fire Containment: 10% Acres: 3,000 Start Date: June 26, 2017 Cause: Unknown Location: 8 miles SE of Wenatchee, WA Total Personnel: 75 Fuels/Topography: Grass, brushy fuels Sutherland Canyon...

Monday June 26, 2017 Fire: Alcoa Fire Containment: 0% Acres: 500 Start Date: June 26, 2017 Cause: Unknown Location: Alcoa Highway; Near Jumpoff Ridge Total Personnel: 100 Fuels/Topography: Grass, brushy fuels Today: Firefighters and multiple air resources are working to hold the fire to the west of Alcoa Highway and north of Colockum Road. Currently crews are reporting active spread at the head of the wind driven grass fire. Firefighters will use existing roads, dozer lines, water drops and natural features wherever possible to limit future fire spread in this area. To the west, the fire continues to creep and back slowly through grass and brush. Smoke: Light to moderate smoke from today’s fire activity will spread to the east toward Quincy, WA. For more information on smoke and air quality please visit: wasmoke.blogspot.com Evacuations: Level 2 evacuation levels are in place for Colockum Road, Kingsbury Road, Moses Carr Road, Ingersoll Road, and Tarpiscan Road....

Phelps Creek Trail reopens access to Spider Meadows Leavenworth, WA – A new closure order has re-opened the Phelps Creek Trail No. 1511, which means that the public will once again be able to reach the popular Spider Meadows area in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Also re-opened is the Indian Creek Trail No. 1502. “The threat to public health and safety has diminished enough that we can open up these trals,” said Wenatchee River Ranger District Fire Management Officer, Cary Stock. “While we have seen that risk diminish, we want to remind the public to expect to see smoke in these areas.” It should be expected that both the Buck Creek Trail No. 1513 and the Chiwawa River Trail No. 1550 will remain closed to public access until trail crews can get in and clear these trails of hazards next spring. The Buck Creek Fire was started by a lightning strike on July 22, 2016. The Saul Fire is believed to have been started from the same storm system that ignited the Buck...

U.S.FOREST SERVICE PRESS RELEASE Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest 600 Sherbourne Street, Leavenworth, WA 98826 Wenatchee River Ranger District, 509-548-2550 Contact: Fire Information 509-548-2558 Friday, September 30, 2016 Phelps Creek Trail reopens access to Spider Meadows Leavenworth, WA – A new closure order has re-opened the Phelps Creek Trail No. 1511, which means that the public will once again be able to reach the popular Spider Meadows area in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Also re-opened is the Indian Creek Trail No. 1502. “The threat to public health and safety has diminished enough that we can open up these trals,” said Wenatchee River Ranger District Fire Management Officer, Cary Stock. “While we have seen that risk diminish, we want to remind the public to expect to see smoke in these areas.” It should be expected that both the Buck Creek Trail No. 1513 and the Chiwawa River Trail No. 1550 will remain closed to public access until trail crews...

The Rock Creek Fire is now 100% contained. Today will be the last time this site will be updated. Further information regarding the fire and attendant closures should be directed to the Naches Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest at (509) 653-1401 during normal business hours Monday through Friday.

Rock Creek Fire Update 9/22/2016 8:00 a.m. PT This will be the final update for the Rock Creek Fire, unless there are significant events. Location – The Rock Creek Fire is on lands protected by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the Washington Department of Natural Resources 12 miles northwest of Naches, Washington in the Rock Creek drainage east of SR 410. Operations- One hundred percent containment was achieved yesterday. Fire suppression operations on this incident are essentially complete. The local agencies will assume responsibility for monitoring and taking any necessary additional actions beginning tomorrow, September 23, 2016. Incident Commander Rob Kephart and the entire incident management team thank the surrounding communities for the strong support and appreciation for our efforts while assigned to this incident. Closures – Reference closure order link and map on INCIWEB at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5025/33709/ Emergency Road Closure...

A closure order has been issued by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for roads on portions of the National Forest System Lands within the Naches Ranger District around the fire area. Naches Ranger District Closure Order No. 06-17-08-16-991. Reference attached closure order and map. For the purposes of this order, any type of travel is prohibited on the following Forest Service Roads (FSR) due to the fire: Forest Service Road (FSR) 1701 beginning at the Forest Boundary, (T. 16 N. R. 15 E., Sec.9), East to the junction with FSR 1714, (T. 16 N., R. 15 E., Sec.1), Continuing north on FSR 1701 to the junction with FSR 1720, (T. 17 N., R. 15 E., Sec. 26), West and south on FSR 1720 to the junction with FSR 1702, (T. 16 N., R. 15 E., Sec. 4), South on FSR 1702 to the Forest Boundary (T. 16 N., R. 15 E., Sec. 4) Including the following spur roads connected to FSR 1701, 1720, and 1701; 511, 517, 525, 540, 544, 550, 545, 547, 608, 610, 612, 614, 616, 618, 620, 627, 630, 639 and 643.

Termination of Order Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Pursuant to Title 36 CFR 261.50(a) [and/or (b)], the prohibition listed in Order number 06-17-08-989, applicable to the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest dated 12 September 2016, and signed by Jason Kuiken is hereby terminated. Executed in Wenatchee, Washington this 19th day of September and effective as of this date. /s/ Michael R. Williams Forest Supervisor Okanogan-Wenatchee National

Rock Creek Fire Update 9/21/2016 9:00 a.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 658-1376 Location – The Rock Creek Fire is on lands protected by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the Washington Department of Natural Resources 12 miles northwest of Naches, Washington in the Rock Creek drainage east of SR 410. Operations- Mop-up standards have largely been met on the entire fire. Monitoring for remaining heat near the line continues. Identified slash concentrations are being chipped and scattered. Excess equipment no longer needed on the fire line is being brought back to be reconditioned and stored. Good progress is being made on installing fire line erosion control structures and repairing damage done by suppression activities. Weather and Fire Behavior – Cool temperatures and elevated relative humidity will continue to minimize fire activity. The probability for precipitation increases later in the week, with a warming trend for the weekend. Closures – Reference...

Rock Creek Fire Update 9/20/2016 2:00 p.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 658-1376 Road Closure Replaces Area Closure- The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest today terminated the area closure (Order # 170816989) issued on September 12, 2016. Replacing it is a new emergency road closure signed today by Forest Supervisor Michael R. Williams. The Rock Creek fire has not grown for several days and containment is now at 90%. As a result forest officials determined that the larger area closure was no longer necessary; however, public safety concerns remain in the immediate vicinity of the fire. Details of the closure are listed below. Location – The Rock Creek Fire is on lands protected by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the Washington Department of Natural Resources 12 miles northwest of Naches, Washington in the Rock Creek drainage east of SR 410. Operations- Mop-up standards have largely been met on the southern side of the fire. On that area, attention is turning to...

Effective September 19,2016 the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has replaced the previously established area closure with a temporary road closure. The new order closes Forest Service Roads 1701, 1720 and 1702 within the National Forest boundary to any type of travel. In addition, all spur roads within the interior of the polygon created by those routes are also closed. The full closure order is available on the Okanogan-Wenatchee Nation Forest website.

Rock Creek Fire Update 9/19/2016 2:00 p.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 658-1376 (new number) Significant progress on containing this fire has allowed fire managers to scale back the resources assigned to it. Northwest Incident Management Team 7 has met its objectives and has transferred command to a smaller local team led by Incident Commander Rob Kephart to complete the remaining work. Location – The Rock Creek Fire is on lands protected by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the Washington Department of Natural Resources 12 miles northwest of Naches, Washington in the Rock Creek drainage east of SR 410. Operations- Mop-up standards have largely been met on the southern side of the fire. On that area, attention is turning to rehabilitating fire lines and repairing damage done by suppression activities. The focus on the northern flank continues to be mop-up. Firefighters are also tasked with monitoring the entire fire edge. Weather and Fire Behavior – A “fall”...

Fire closures remain in effect for the Buck Creek Fire, which include all campgrounds and trailheads north of Alpine Meadows Campground on FS-6200. This includes the Buck Creek Trail No. 1513, Chiwawa River Trail No. 1550, Phelps Creek Trail No. 1511 and Carne Mountain Trail No. 1508. Also closed is the Indian Creek Trail No. 1502. The only campground that will remain closed up the Chiwawa River Road is the Phelps Creek Campground.

Trails and campgrounds reopen with decreased fire activity; fire managers postpone prescribed burns Leavenworth, WA – A new closure order has re-opened campgrounds and trails in the area as fire conditions have moderated on the Buck Creek Fire in the upper Chiwawa River drainage. The Buck Creek and Saul fires have experienced minimal growth since early September when storms produced a third-of-an-inch of wetting rains. With warmer and drier weather returning, the fire continues healthy growth and spread along the Forest floor. With an increase in smoke production and stagnant air movement around local communities, firefighters are postponing planed prescribed burns in the Chiwawa River/Pines area. “Clean air matters to all of us. While the Washington Department of Natural Resources has given us approval to go ahead with local prescribed burns, we have decided to delay ignition,” said Cary Stock, Fire Management Officer for the Wenatchee River Ranger District. “As soon...

Rock Creek Fire Update 9/18/2016 8:00 a.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 658-1366 This is the final update from Northwest Incident Management Team 7. The fire will be transitioning to a local Type 3 team Monday morning at 6 a.m. The NW IMT 7 wishes to extend its gratitude to the community for their support of the firefighting effort on the Rock Creek Fire. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. If you have information, please contact Bruce Balderston at the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) at 509-925-8510. Location – The Rock Creek Fire is located on the Naches Ranger District and on lands protected by the Washington Department of Natural Resources 12 miles northwest of Naches, Washington in the Rock Creek drainage east of SR 410. Yesterday’s Operations – Fire behavior was minimal yesterday. Crews continued to cool hotspots (mop-up) along the containment lines and worked to further secure the containment lines. Today’s...

Rock Creek Fire Update 9/17/2016 7:00 a.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 658-1366 The Level 1 Evacuation Notice for residences located east of SR 410 (from south of Cliffdell to Forest Road 1701) has been lifted. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. If you have information, please contact Bruce Balderston at the Washington Department of Natural Resources at 509-925-8510. Location – The Rock Creek Fire is burning on the Naches Ranger District and on lands protected by the Washington Department of Natural Resources 12 miles northwest of Naches, Washington in the Rock Creek drainage east of SR 410. Yesterday’s Operations – Crews made good progress yesterday. With the warm and dry conditions isolated pockets of previously unburned vegetation within the interior of the fire continued to burn and produce some smoke. Firefighters continued cooling hotspots (mopping up) and worked to further secure the containment lines. Today’s Operations – Crews...

ROCK CREEK FIRE EVACUATION LIFTED At 7:00 p.m. on September 16, 2016 the Level 1 evacuation notice for residences located east of SR 410 (from south of Cliffdell to Forest Road 1701) has been lifted.

Rock Creek Fire Update 9/16/2016 8:00 a.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 658-1366 Location – The Rock Creek Fire is burning on the Naches Ranger District and on lands protected by the Washington Department of Natural Resources 12 miles northwest of Naches, Washington in the Rock Creek drainage east of SR 410. Yesterday’s Operations – An inversion yesterday morning caused smoke to settle into surrounding valleys and temporarily delayed the start of burnout operations on the last remaining unlined section of the fire. Challenged by a late start and unfavorable winds, crews were still able to successfully complete the assignment. Helicopters doused hotspots near the line as the burnout fire moved toward the interior. A clearly visible vertical smoke column developed as the flame fronts merged in the late afternoon. Elsewhere, firefighters continued cooling hotspots (mopping up) and other hazards adjacent to the existing lines to further secure them. Today’s Operations – Mop up...