InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Kaniksu Complex—Tower Fire Idaho Panhandle and Colville National Forests and Washington DNR Kaniksu Type 3 Team — Tom Kennedy, Incident Commander September 18, 2015, 7:00 am For Immediate Release Diane Mann-Klager, 509-445-1868 towerfireinfo@gmail.com Please remember parts of the Colville and Idaho Panhandle National Forests are still closed to the public for the safety of all. Law enforcement officers are patrolling closed areas and violators may be cited. Please check with local ranger districts for more information.The Kaniksu Complex, which includes the Tower Fire and six smaller fires, has a total acreage of 26,044 acres as of 6 pm September 17, 2015. The entire perimeter is not identified as requiring containment line. Of that identified for containment, 100 percent of the work is complete around the fire perimeter. Portions of the Tower and Grease Creek Fire perimeters were identified as Limited Threat – Minimal Action. There is containment line worked as...

Tunk Block Fire: Firefighters are focusing their primary efforts on suppression repair. These activities seek to minimize any resource concerns caused by constructing firelines and using roads. As much as possible, fire managers want to restore the roads and areas where firelines were constructed to pre-fire conditions. This work is specifically designed to minimize surface and gully erosion and minimize sediment delivery into streams and rivers. A total of nineteen miles of suppression repair have been completed on the Tunk Block Fire. Crews are continuing to mop up any remaining heat near containment lines and responding to smoke reported by local land owners. Weather: The weather is predicted to be warmer and dryer through the weekend with a slight chance of a late afternoon shower. Evacuations: All evacuations are at Evacuation level 1 and are being evaluated to be lifted. Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests have closures encompassing the entire fire...

North Star Fire: Like the Tunk Block Fire, crews are focusing their primary efforts on suppression repair. Chipping of cut material along roads is also occurring. The total miles of suppression repair on the North Star Fire are still being verified. Inciweb will be updated when the numbers become available. Crews are continuing to mop up any remaining heat near containment lines and responding to smoke reported by local land owners. Weather: The weather is predicted to be warmer and dryer through the weekend with a slight chance of a late afternoon shower. Evacuations: All evacuations are at Evacuation level 1 and are being evaluated to be lifted. Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests have closures encompassing the entire fire areas and adjacent forested areas. Other areas outside of the burned areas remain open to recreation, hunting and woodcutting. Colville Indian Reservation forest and recreational areas within the fires are closed. See the maps at...

Okanogan Complex Fire Update September 18, 2015, 9:00 AM Fire Information: 877-568-0458 or 877-574-5148, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM Size: 133,142 acres Estimated Cost to Date: $44.5 million Containment: 95 percent Injuries: 7 Total Personnel: 500 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 120 Committed Resources: 19 crews, 32 engines, 3 helicopters, 8 dozers, 17 water tenders, 8 masticators CURRENT FIRE SITUATION Firefighters continue to work between the fire front and Forest Road (FR) 42 near Cabin Creek, mopping up the fire as it approaches the road. Smoke will be visible near the fire perimeter and in the interior, as fuels continue to ignite and burn until significant rain or snow falls. The remainder of the fire area is in patrol and mop up status, as suppression repair continues. Repair activities, including blading roads, reshaping and covering dozer lines, building water bars on handlines, removing slash from roads and trails, cleaning up drop points, and...

Información actualizada sobre el Incendio Okanogan Complex 17 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: 133,142 acres Cálculo aproximado de costo a la fecha: $44.5 millónes Contenimiento: 95 por ciento Heridos/Lesionados: 7 Total de Personal: 530 Residencias dañadas o destruidas: 120 Recursos Asignados: 10 cuadrillas, 32 camiones de bombero, 2 helicópteros, 8 excavadoras, 17 tanques de agua, 10 demoledores SITUACION ACTUAL DEL INCENDIO Hoy los bomberos bomberos estarán trabajando entre el frente del fuego y la calle Forest (FR) 42 cerca de Cabin Creek, mientras el fuego retrocede lentamente hacia la carretera. El resto del área del incendio se encuentra siendo patrullada y se lleva acabo mantenimiento/limpieza preventiva. Actividades de reparación que se están llevando a cabo hoy sobre el área de incendio incluyen: carreteras resbaladizas, remodelación y...

The Kaniksu Type 3 Team is still quite active on the Kaniksu Complex. The Fires have containment of 100 percent of the lines identified for containment. There are some areas which were identified as being of limited threat and minimal action. Some of it was because there has been limited movement of the fire in that area. Others, and the majority, were identified as too hazardous to put firefighters into because of the limited benefit compared to the risk. Those areas have contingency lines which are being patrolled.In addition, 100 percent containment does not mean 100 percent out. We are still patrolling and mopping up hot spots. The breezy conditions are awakening some hot spots. There is a lot of heavy equipment and personnel working at suppression repair also. The Team and the Agency Administrators have all determined that the area closures will remain in effect. We are evaluating the fire traffic, general safety, and considerations for access on a daily basis.

All evacuation orders have been reduced to level 1. Level 1 Evacuation Notice means "Alert"; Level 2 means "Be Ready" and Level 3 means "Leave Immediately".

All evacuation orders have been reduced to a level 1. Level 1 Evacuation Notice means "Alert"; Level 2 means "Be Ready" and Level 3 means "Leave Immediately" Close coordination continues with local agencies and multiple cooperators regarding fire activity and evacuation notices.

Suppression Rehab/Repair The overall objective is to repair damage caused by the fire suppression activities, and to return the affected area to pre-fire conditions as nearly as possible. Work is specifically designed to minimize surface and gully erosion, minimize sediment delivery to stream channels, restore conditions to pre-fire drainage patterns, minimize loss of soil productivity due to potential erosion in cleared areas, and minimize the introduction or spread of noxious weed infestations. The goal of water barring fire lines is to drain water off the fire line and prevent concentrated flow and ultimately soil erosion. The goal of removing berms on dozer lines is to eliminate water channeling effect. The goal of repairing roads is to return drainage elements to functioning stable condition so that they effectively route water off of the road, minimize erosion and repair damaged driving surfaces.

Suppression Repair/Rehab The overall objective is to repair damage caused by the fire suppression activities, and to return the affected area to pre-fire conditions as nearly as possible. Work is specifically designed to minimize surface and gully erosion, minimize sediment delivery to stream channels, restore conditions to pre-fire drainage patterns, minimize loss of soil productivity due to potential erosion in cleared areas, and minimize the introduction or spread of noxious weed infestations. The goal of water barring fire lines is to drain water off the fire line and prevent concentrated flow and ultimately soil erosion. The goal of removing berms on dozer lines is to eliminate water channeling effect. The goal of repairing roads is to return drainage elements to functioning stable condition so that they effectively route water off of the road, minimize erosion and repair damaged driving surfaces.

With rain showers coming in today, fire behavior will be at a minimum. Crews will be able to continue with the suppression repair work between the light rains today. The strongest weather system of this group is came through last night but should be out of the area by afternoon today. There should be wetting rain over the area. Temperatures should be cool enough for a dusting of snow down to 5000 feet elevation. Today through Saturday the flow will turn westerly and will result in a break from the very cool and unsettled weather. The suppression repair work will continue to be the focused in the McFarland Creek and Gold Creek areas. Suppression repair includes damage repair to roads and fire lines. Crews will continue to monitor the fire as needed. Smoke from this fire was coming mostly from islands of unburned fuels slowly burning out in the interior of the fire near Saint Luise Creek. Forest Closures are still in place, but have been modified. Check the Okanogan ‐Wenatchee...

Current Situation: The Carpenter Road Fire remains at 63,972 acres and 95% containment. Thursday’s weather will be partly cloudy and cool. The anticipated rain showers that were expected did not develop. Thursday isolated showers are forecasted from late morning to evening. This will result in low fire behavior. The Field scouts are working on the arduous task of accounting for every structure affected by the fire and plan on having the list completed in the very near future. Work is being done on dozer lines which need to be smoothed out and have erosion control structures will be installed. There are interior dozer lines that had been put in at the start of the fire which are now being repaired and attention is directed to the tying up the final primary containment lines. Special consideration for rehabilitation is being taken with riparian areas to minimize impact on an already fragile ecosystem. Water control systems will be installed to prevent sediment from entering the water...

There have been no major changes to the perimeter or area closure maps for the Kaniksu Complex. The Kaniksu Type 3 Team will update maps when there are significant changes. There is an issue with the perimeter maps in the Google Earth format. We are working to try to address this issue. If you look in GeoMAC Wildfire Map Viewer you will see all past perimeters (http://www.geomac.gov/viewer/viewer.shtml).Thank you for your patience.

Kaniksu Complex—Tower Fire Idaho Panhandle and Colville National Forests and Washington DNR Kaniksu Type 3 Team — Tom Kennedy, Incident Commander September 17, 2015, 7:00 a.m. For Immediate Release Diane Mann-Klager, 509-445-1868towerfireinfo@gmail.com Parts of the Colville and Idaho Panhandle National Forests are still closed to the public for the safety of all. Law enforcement officers are patrolling closed areas and violators may be cited. Please check with local ranger districts for more information. The Kaniksu Complex, which includes the Tower Fire and six smaller fires, has a total acreage of 26,044 acres as of 6 pm September 16, 2015. The entire perimeter is not identified as requiring containment line. Of that identified for containment, 100 percent of the work is complete. It should be noted that 100 percent containment does not mean the fires are out. There are still isolated pockets of heat which can become active when warmed by the sun and fanned by the wind....

Fire Update – Thursday, September 17, 2015 – 9:00 a.m. Rain started falling over the Wolverine Fire area overnight and is expected to continue through the morning. Fire managers say there is only a slight chance Wolverine will see any further significant growth. However, the fire is not out and a couple weeks of dry weather could result in active burning again. Helicopters made some water drops Wednesday in the Three Creek drainage to cool hot spots. Work on a fire line at the top of Three Creek was completed Wednesday as well. As of 2 p.m. yesterday, all fire evacuation levels in Chelan County were lifted. Residents and visitors should remain aware of the threat of mudslides with any significant rain over the burn scars. See Www.centralwashingtonfirerecovery.info/floodwatch for more information. Residents are still asked to watch for fire traffic on the roads as crews remain active in both the Wolverine and First Creek fire areas. The work now is gathering the hundreds of...

Direct line where possible; indirect line where necessary; mop-up underway Nile, Wash. – Work continues to contain and mop-up the 1,024-acre Meeks Table fire burning about 5 miles west of the community of Nile. The fire size has not grown in several days. Light showers fell on the fire area last night, but fuel beneath tree canopies remains dry and interior burning will continue with creeping, smoldering and occasional tree torching. Incident containment is now 20%. Today firefighters will continue mopping up across the west, north and east sides of the fire. Some areas have secured a 200-foot perimeter. Other areas are prepared for additional burn out operations to tie roads, hand lines and natural barriers together more effectively. On the east side of the fire, line construction today will extend toward anchor points in rocky bluffs. Mostly cloudy weather is expected to continue today. Winds will be stronger than recently experienced with gusts from the west up to 20...

La lluvia comenzó a caer sobre el área del incendio Wolverine durante la noche y se espera que continúe a través de la mañana. Gerentes del incendio dicen que sólo hay una pequeña posibilidad de que el incendio Wolverine tenga un crecimiento significativo. Sin embargo, el fuego sigue activo y un par de semanas de clima seco puede provocar que el fuego comienza a arder de nuevo. Helicópteros disparcierón agua el miércoles sobre el canal/desagüe Three Creek para enfriar los puntos calientes. El trabajo (reparación) en la línea de contenimiento en la parte superior de Three Creek se completó el miércoles. Desde las 2 de la tarde de ayer, se cancelaron todos los niveles de evacuación del Condado de Chelan. Los residentes y visitantes deben ser conscientes de la amenaza de deslizamientos de tierra con cualquier lluvia significativa sobre las cicatrices de quemaduras (áreas quemadas). Vea Www.centralwashingtonfirerecovery.info/floodwatch para más información. Se les...

Okanogan Complex Fire Update September 17, 2015, 9:00 AM Fire Information: 877-568-0458 or 877-574-5148, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM Size: 133,142 acres Estimated Cost to Date: $44.5 million Containment: 95 percent Injuries: 7 Total Personnel: 530 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 120 Committed Resources: 10 crews, 32 engines, 2 helicopters, 8 dozers, 17 water tenders, 10 masticators CURRENT FIRE SITUATION Today firefighters will be working between the fire front and Forest Road (FR) 42 near Cabin Creek, as the fire slowly backs towards the road. The remainder of the fire area is in patrol and mop up status, as suppression repair continues. Repair activities occurring over the fire area today include: blading roads, reshaping and covering dozer lines, building water bars on handlines, removing slash from roads and trails, cleaning up drop points, and repairing fences cut by firefighters. Burned area emergency response (BAER) teams are beginning to assess burned...

Incident Summary: The Kettle Complex includes three fires – the Stickpin, Renner and Graves Mountain fires – burning south of the Canadian border, west of Highway 395, north of State Route 20 and east of Highway 21.Operations: Active fire is still being suppressed on the north and east sides of the Stickpin Fire although it is minimal and crews have a good handle on it. Mop-up (systematically checking, digging up, extinguishing and rechecking secured fireline), backhaul (removing pumps, hose and other no-longer-needed equipment), and suppression repair (fixing areas damaged by firefighting activities, including bulldozer lines, saw lines and safety zones) continues on all fires. The cool, moist weather has been beneficial to suppression efforts but has introduced a new challenge for repair operations. Recent rain, snow and sleet over the fire area have made roads extremely slick and soft. Repair work with heavy equipment has become a delicate balance of repairing the roads without...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Thursday September 17, 2015 Prepared by Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee Smoke Summary: Today is expected to be cool and showery as rain comes through later in the morning. Steady rains early on and light showers if any later in the day can be expected along with cooling air coming through. Fire behavior will be minimal today. Extended Outlook: The trend of improved air quality over the NE region will continue. Friday will see the start of some dry air and warming through the weekend and more winds are expected Sunday as several weak weather disturbances pass through the region. ·Monitoring stations for Tonasket, Orient, and Kettle Falls have been shut down due to machine malfunction as of 09/10/2015.