InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

SPOKANE - Yesterday firefighters continued to make good progress around and inside the fire perimeter for both the Wellesley and Yale fires. The Wellesley Fire is 100% contained and is expected to stay within its perimeters. As a result, night time firefighting operations have discontinued. The Yale Fire is 85% contained – a 10% percent increase from yesterday. Night shift operations decreased overnight. Today’s operations continue to focus on mop-up activities such as making sure hot spots are put out, removing unburnt fuel and securing burned out areas. Minimal fire activity is expected, however the potential for isolated burning within the perimeter of the fire exists. Weather is the biggest area of concern today. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning from 1 p.m. – 9 p.m. for wind and low relative humidity. During that timeframe, the fire area may see strong winds from the west to southwest at 15-20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Temperatures are expected to...

Hart Fire Update8/27/2016 8:00 a.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 542-7928 Red Flag Warning Issued Today The National Weather Service has posted a Red Flag Warning for gusty winds and low relative humidity for today from 1pm to 10pm. Caution should be used today with any activity that could spark a fire. Location –The Hart Fire is located 13 miles north of Davenport, WA and south of the Spokane River. The Incident Command Post is located at the Davenport Middle School. Yesterday’s Operations – Mop-up continued on perimeter lines and near structures. Firefighters continued post-fire repair and rehabilitation work to minimize soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression action. Fire behavior was minimal again yesterday. Today’s Operations – Mop-up and patrol will continue along fire lines and near structures to reduce the risk of the fire from escaping or threatening homes. Crews continue repair and rehabilitation work across several sections of the fire today....

Valley Chapel Road is currently closed between Spangle Creek Road and Forsland Road due to a tree that has fallen onto the road. The roadway will remain closed through tomorrow due to the potential of more trees falling due to predicted wind in the

SPOKANE - Yesterday firefighters made good progress around and inside the fire perimeter for both the Yale and Wellesley fires. Firefighters on the Wellesley Fire are still finding heat around structures using handheld infra-red detection devices. The fire is 100% contained and is expected to stay within its perimeters. Burn out operations have ended on the Yale Fire for now. It is 75% contained – a 15% percent increase from yesterday – and today’s operations will focus on the canyon areas on the southern and northeast perimeter. Smoke columns from unburned islands within the fire footprint may be visible from a distance. Minimal fire activity consuming surface fuels such as grasses and wheat is expected, however slight potential for isolated burning within the perimeter of the fire exists. Several miles of hose are being used around both fires to secure the fire lines. There are resources available to assist local agencies in the event fire escapes the fire lines. Air...

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity. The warning is in effect from 1 PM to 9 PM Saturday. Use extreme caution while out doors as the risk to accidently start a fire is

Fire Activity Continues to Produce Smoke, Impacting the PeninsulaYesterday crews continued to reinforce structure protection and were successful at effectively prepping the Wilder Hiker Shelter and Botten Cabin. They also placed fire retardant foil wrap on the Godkin Bridge for infrastructure protection. A combination of aerial and ground monitoring over all four fires were in effect. A short crew of three firefighters were inserted at the Ignar Creek Fire near Pyrites Creek to monitor and help notify hikers of potential hazards in the area. Two other short squads will be inserted and assigned to help monitor fire activity in the Hayes and Godkin fire areas. Today fire activity is expected to be similar to yesterday. Smoke may be seen throughout the day around the peninsula, though the fires are still deep in remote wilderness. Fire activity is expected to continue today and into most of the weekend with warm temperatures reaching into the mid-80s today and expected to drop down...

Cayuse Mountain Fire InformationAugust 26, 2016 Closed Roads (Hard Closures)No one except fire operations personnel and residents allowed.Elijah Road Flett Road Wynecoop-Cayuse Road Matthews Lake Road Jacobs Road Brandom Road All other roads in the affected area are soft closures. The Spokane Tribal Police Department is asking that all but essential personnel keep out until further notice.

Cayuse Mountain Fire Information August 26, 2016, 10 am NW Incident Management Team (IMT) 9, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 21, 2016 Current Size: 18,417 acres Percent Containment: 50% Structures lost: 14 houses, 9 other structures Location: Wellpinit, WA on the Spokane Indian Reservation Firefighters made excellent progress yesterday in improving and securing containment lines around the fire, which is now 50% contained. Fire activity yesterday was all within the fire perimeter, mostly in islands of unburned vegetation. Suppression actions focused on mopping up hot spots near the fire perimeter and around residences. Fire managers have identified a contingency line between the fire perimeter and Wellpinit. This line would serve as a secondary line designed to catch the fire should it escape containment lines. Today, heavy equipment and crews will work to improve the contingency line. They will also mop up near the fire perimeter. A structure group has been...

Hart Fire Update 8/26/2016 8:00 a.m. PT Fire Information: (509) 542-7928 Location –The Hart Fire is located 13 miles north of Davenport, WA and south of the Spokane River. The Incident Command Post is located at the Davenport Middle School. Yesterday’s Operations – Firefighters mopped-up and patrolled all firelines and around structures. This work increased the probability that any remaining smokes will not rekindle and escape the current perimeter or threaten structures. Fire behavior was minimal and air resources were not required yesterday. Today’s Operations – Mop up will continue on perimeter lines and near structures. Crews continue repair and rehabilitation work across several sections of the fire today. Fire suppression repair includes a series of immediate post-fire actions to repair damages and minimize soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression action. These actions usually begin before the fire is fully contained, and before the...

Public Meeting: 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at the Lake Wenatchee Rec Club, 14400 Chiwawa Loop Road, Leavenworth, WA

Yesterday on the Deep North Fire there was a drone observed flying over the fire. This is an emerging issue that puts firefighters and pilots at risk due to the required grounding of air support. Please help get the word out that aircraft can't fly while drones are in the air. If You Fly We

Cayuse Mountain Fire Information August 25, 2016, 12 pm NW Incident Management Team (IMT) 9, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 21, 2016 Current Size: 18,417 acres Percent Containment: 40% Structures lost: 14 houses, 9 other structures Location: Wellpinit, WA on the Spokane Indian Reservation Suppression actions yesterday were successful in lining nearly all of the fire perimeter, with efforts focused now on completing and securing those lines. Some interior burning yesterday on the southern portion of the fire started two spot fires across the Spokane River, but firefighters from the Hart Fire were able to quickly contain both of those fires. Interior burning caused periodic smoke yesterday afternoon, which was visible from the community of Wellpinit. Islands of unburned vegetation exist within the fire area and as some of these areas burn, residents may see some smoke. Fire behavior in these areas is moderate with single tree...

An eight-mile section of the Elwha River Trail has been closed to provide for public safety in the vicinity of two wildness fires. The trail is closed from the Hayes River Ranger Station south to Chicago Camp. In addition to the section of the Elwha River Trail, below are the current fire related closures: ·Road Accessing the Elwha River Valley, closure starting at the Madison Falls Trailhead. ·Hayden Pass Trail from Dose Meadows to the Elwha River Trail ·An eight-mile section of the Elwha River Trail from the Hayes River Ranger Station south to Chicago Camp.

8/25/2016 8:00 a.m. PTFire Information: (509) 542-7928Location –The Hart Fire is located 13 miles north of Davenport, WA and south of the Spokane River. The Incident Command Post is located at the Davenport Middle School. Yesterday’s Operations – Winds from the northeast blew embers from the Cayuse Mt. Fire across the Spokane River and caused two small spot fires on the Hart Fire side and were contained at less than one acre each. Isolated pockets of smoke and smoldering hot spots within the interior were closely monitored. Crews made progress constructing new fireline around the fire’s perimeter. Four helicopters and five “fire boss” single engine scooper planes were used to provide support for firefighters. Today’s Operations – Additional crews, engines and other equipment arrived yesterday. Crews will continue to secure fireline in the northwest corner, carry out patrol and mop up in the southerly portion and locate hot spots and mop up near structures and...

Deep North Fire UPDATE Thursday August 25, 2016 9:00 AM Fire Information: 360-480-2700 http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4977/ email: deepnorthfire2016@gmail.com Incident Summary: The Deep North Fire is currently burning approximately eight miles southeast of the town of Northport, Washington, on the hillsides above Deep Lake in Stevens County. The fire was reported to have started at approximately 2:30 pm on August 21, 2016 and is burning in heavy brush and Douglas fir tree stands. Establishing containment has been challenging for fire resources due to steep terrain and limited accessibility to the fire lines. The reduction in acreage is due to more accurate mapping of the fire perimeter. Bodie Fire: This fire started on August 18, at approximately 4:00 pm near Bodie Mountain about six miles east of Deep Lake. It is burning on Hancock Timber Resource Group lands. The fire is estimated at 41 acres and has been fully...

August 25, 2016 9 AM Update:The Yale Fire remains the most active south of Rock Canyon and in Hangman Valley. Yesterday, firefighters conducted a burn-out operation on the east side of the Hangman Road. Burn-out operations are used to ensure fire lines remain secure by consuming unburnt fuels adjacent to fire lines. The majority of smoke yesterday was a result of the burn-out operation. Today, the public may see smoke as firefighters continue burn-out operations on the west side of Hangman Road on the southern perimeter of the fire. The Wellesley Fire is now 100% contained with 341 acres burned and the Yale Fire is 60% contained with 5,791 acres burned. Infra-red technology is used to detect heat that may be invisible at the surface. Handheld infra-red devices will be utilized primarily on the Wellesley Fire today, transitioning to the Yale Fire this evening continuing through tomorrow. A public meeting was held at Freeman High School last evening. Approximately 250 residents...

Fire personnel on the Yale Road Fire have begun burnout operations in the Hangman Creek area this afternoon. Columns of smoke are visible over the area. The purpose of the burnout operations is to create a defensible fire edge to stop the spread of the fire. More information at 509-477-2780 or at the public meeting tonight at 6:00 p.m. at the Freeman High

Leavenworth, WA – Favorable weather and forest conditions along the upper Chiwawa River continue to be excellent for managing the Buck Creek Fire to enhance wilderness values and achieve resource benefits. Crews are reporting primarily low to moderate intensity fire behavior as it creeps and moves along the forest floor. Today, the fire is anticipated to continue to spread along Phelps Ridge to the northwest. The fire is currently 1,987 acres in size.“Lower intensity fires like Buck Creek minimize the risk of big fires from coming into the community in the future,” said Wenatchee River Ranger District Fire Management Officer, Cary Stock. “Our fire management decision today will help decrease risk to the public and firefighters for years to come as hazardous fuels are reduced across the landscape.”This area of the Glacier Peak Wilderness has not seen a fire in nearly one hundred years of recorded fire history. The conditions this year continue to be an excellent opportunity...

Media Alert Wednesday, August 24, 2016, 1:00 pm A press conference will be held tomorrow, August 25 at 9:00 am at the Spokane Complex Incident Command Post located at the Spokane County Fairgrounds, 404 N. Havana. Incident Commander Nate Rabe and his team will brief news media on the current fire situation.

Deep North Fire UPDATE Wednesday August 24, 2016 9:00 AM Fire Information: 360-480-2700 http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4977/ email: deepnorthfire2016@gmail.com Incident Summary: The Deep North Fire is currently burning approximately eight miles southeast of the town of Northport, Washington, on the hillsides above Deep Lake in Stevens County. The fire was reported to have started at approximately 2:30 pm on August 21, 2016 and is burning in heavy brush and Douglas fir tree stands. Establishing containment has been challenging for fire resources due to steep terrain and limited accessibility to the fire lines. Bodie Fire: This fire started on August 18, at approximately 4:00 pm near Bodie Mountain about six miles east of Deep Lake. It is burning on Hancock Timber Resource Group lands. The fire is estimated at 41 acres and has been fully lined. It is roughly 75% contained and crews continue to secure and improve the line. Planned Actions Today: Public and...