InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

“Yesterday was a good day for our firefighters. Even though we had higher wind gusts along the ridgetops, the fire held in place and continues to slowly burn down to Saint Luise Creek,” said Incident Commander Bob Allbee. “The high winds predicted with our Red Flag Warning for yesterday were felt along the ridgetops but they did not get down into our deeper canyons.” A deeper low pressure system is expected to move across the Cascades this afternoon. This could reinforce the cooler temperatures and could bring some very light rain to the fire late in the afternoon or early evening. Temperatures should be down another 5-10 degrees. You may see helicopters dipping water out of the river near the Gold Creek area again today. These helicopters are being used to help slow the fire as it backs down into Saint Luise Creek. Please exercise caution when driving Highway 153 in that area. Smoke coming off the fire yesterday, was transported up and out of the area. The smoke from this...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Monday September 14, 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov), Air Resource Advisor & Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days gave way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The passing dry cold front will bring much cooler temperatures and breezy conditions and there is a chance of rain by Wednesday. Upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Monday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Air quality will range anywhere from good to unhealthy for sensitive groups in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The North Star is at 215,406 acres, Tunk Block 163,096 acres, Okanogan Complex 133,142 acres. Caution: Potential smoke on highway 21, expected to clear by the afternoon; use caution. Extended Outlook: Cooler temperatures and...

Fire Update Monday, September 14, 2015, AM Carpenter Road Fire – Fruitland, Washington Location: 35 miles NW of Spokane, WA; Information Center: (509) 722-6010 or (509) 722-6040 Incident Commander: Doug Johnson Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4549/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarpenterRoadFire Washington Smoke Information: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ Current Situation The fire perimeter encompasses 63,972 acres, nearly 100 square miles, and is 95% contained. Change is a key word for the coming week. Cooler temperatures and an increasing probability of precipitation are anticipated as the week progresses. Such conditions should be favorable for making the fire perimeter more secure. The second change is the departure of Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3 which will be replaced by a smaller organization. Sufficient progress has been made to downsize the forces required to complete the remaining work. Today, the new organization’s leadership will...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Monday September 14, 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov), Air Resource Advisor & Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days gave way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The passing dry cold front will bring much cooler temperatures and breezy conditions and there is a chance of rain by Wednesday. Upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Monday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Air quality will range anywhere from good to unhealthy for sensitive groups in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The North Star is at 215,406 acres, Tunk Block 163,096 acres, Okanogan Complex 133,142 acres. Caution: Potential smoke on highway 21, expected to clear by the afternoon; use caution. Extended Outlook: Cooler temperatures and with a...

Tunk Block Complex Fire Update 9-14-15 8:00 a.m. Tunk Block Fire: Firefighters made good progress securing a difficult containment line in the fire’s rugged northeast corner between Bannon and Tunk Mountains. Crews continued to construct fire line in the large unburned “island” between Powers Butte and Omak Mountain. These efforts will continue over the next several days. Today crews will continue to mop up any remaining heat near containment lines. Suppression repair has begun. Both Fires: The Tunk Block and North Star Fires are both very large. The fires combined are over 590 square miles. That is four times the size of the city of Seattle or about the size of the city of Los Angles. It is approximately 590 miles from Seattle to Helena, MT. Interior islands and pockets will continue to smolder and burn for the next several weeks. People should not be surprised to see smoke from these areas. A night shift will be patrolling the fire areas and available to respond to any...

North Star Fire Update 9-14-15 North Star Fire: The crews inserted by helicopter on the top of the cliffs east of Highway 21 near Bear Creek constructed direct line and made good progress today. These efforts will continue for several days. The fire near Barrett Butte “fell off” the cliffs and progressed to Highway 21. There were no spots across highway 21. Firefighters are constructing direct line on the fire’s edge east of Swan Butte. Suppression repair has begun. Both Fires: The Tunk Block and North Star Fires are both very large. The fires combined are over 590 square miles. That is four times the size of the city of Seattle or about the size of the city of Los Angles. It is approximately 590 miles from Seattle to Helena, MT. Interior islands and pockets will continue to smolder and burn for the next several weeks. People should not be surprised to see smoke from these areas. A night shift will be patrolling the fire areas and available to respond to any reports of flare...

ORDER NO. 952 EMERGENCY ROAD CLOSURE OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50 (a) and (b) the following acts are prohibited on designated portions of National Forest System (NFS) Lands and Trails of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as described below and shown on the attached map: 1. USE BY ANY TYPE OF TRAFFIC ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM ROADS LISTED BELOW AND SHOWN ON EXHIBIT A. For the purpose of this order, any type of travel is prohibited on the following National Forest Roads due to fire: a. Forest Service Road 1600 including all forest spur roads connecting to the 1600 Road. b. Forest Service Road 1500 at east Forest Boundary to the junction of Forest Service Road 199 (Cash Prairie). Including all forest spur roads connecting to the 1500 between referenced points. [36 CFR 261.54 (b)] This order is effective beginning on the date signed below and will remain in effect until rescinded. Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.54(b), the following persons are exempt...

Naches, WA— Naches Ranger District has one active wildfire burning approximately 30 miles west of Yakima off of State Route 410, in the Meeks Table area. Fire equipment and crews will be in the area of Forest Roads 1605 and 1611 and need roads clear in order to provide safe access and departure from the fire. In addition, the Naches Ranger District is planning to officially close Forest Road 1600 and 1500 systems from the eastern forest boundary to Bethel Ridge. The closure includes the Rattlesnake area, the area to the west of Devil’s Table and east of Meek’s Table and area south of Forest Road 1600, Clover Springs. District Fire Management is asking for your help to contact your family and friends by phone that may be camped in the area to notify them to leave the area right away. “Our first concern is for firefighter and public safety,” said Kelly Lawrence, District Ranger. “That is why we are asking all campers to pack up and quickly get out of the affected area.”...

Current SituationThe fire perimeter encompasses 63,972 acres, nearly 100 square miles, and is 95% contained. Change is a key word for the coming week. The hot dry conditions Friday and Saturday provided fire managers with a good test of their containment lines and the lines held without incident. Cooler temperatures and an increasing probability of precipitation are anticipated as the week progresses. Such conditions should be favorable for making the fire perimeter more secure. The second change is the departure of Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team 3 which will be replaced by a smaller organization. Sufficient progress has been made to downsize the forces required to complete the remaining work. Monday, the new organization’s leadership will accompany their counterparts to familiarize themselves with the conditions and work at hand. Tuesday, the new organization will assume full responsibility for continuing operations commonly referred to as a “transition”. Despite...

There is a Red Flag Warning today for high winds and low relative humidity. We could see cooler temperatures by 5-10 degrees, but there can be ridgetop wind gusts of 30-35 mph this morning dropping down to 20 mph gusts this afternoon. Firefighters are expecting increased fire behavior today with those increased winds. You may see helicopters dipping water out of the river near the Gold Creek area. Please exercise caution when driving Highway 153 in that area. Increased smoke was observed in the Method Valley yesterday. The smoke from this fire was coming from islands of unburned fuels slowly burning out in the interior near Saint Luise Creek. Due to steep and rugged terrain, the northwest side of the fire is proving difficult to access and establish anchor points. The fire will continue to be monitored in the Saint Luise Creek area off the southern portion of headwaters of the South Fork of Gold Creek. Crews will continue to patrol on the south and southeast side of the fire...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires-Friday September 13 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov) , Air Resource Advisor Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days is giving way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The front will bring lower temperatures and breezy conditions. There is a are going to chance of rain by Wednesday. The upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Sunday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Surface inversions are going to a little bit longer to break, so smoke may linger until early afternoon. Air quality will range anywhere from good to very unhealthy in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The smoke that was seen yesterday was from firing operations, so there is little change in the total size of the fires. The North Star is at 212,648 acres, Tunk Block 162,840 acres, Okanogan Complex 132,937 acres. ...

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires-Friday September 13 2015 Prepared by Mark Fitch (mfitch@nps.gov) , Air Resource Advisor Smoke Summary: The high pressure that dominated the weather the last few days is giving way to a cold front Sunday afternoon. The front will bring lower temperatures and breezy conditions. There is a are going to chance of rain by Wednesday. The upper air winds are forecasted to increase helping transport smoke out of the local area. Fires remain active Sunday, as firefighters work to contain open lines. Surface inversions are going to a little bit longer to break, so smoke may linger until early afternoon. Air quality will range anywhere from good to very unhealthy in the morning hours, improving in late afternoon to early evening. The smoke that was seen yesterday was from firing operations, so there is little change in the total size of the fires. The North Star is at 212,648 acres, Tunk Block 162,840 acres, Okanogan Complex 132,937 acres. ...

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Información para el diá 14 de septiembre 2015 Con una advertencia de bandera roja en efecto hoy para vientos y condiciones secas, se les han pedido que "vean para arriba" continuamente mientras trabajan para evitar el riesgo que los árboles dañados por el fuego se caigan. Lo mismo es válido para recreationists y a los cazadores, que hacen su camino fuera un día de diversión en el sol. Cuadrillas se informaron esta mañana que las altas temperaturas y baja humedad representan el cambio de clima en esta región. Esta pronosticado lluvia para el miércoles. Igual como ayer, los bomberos, más de 650, hoy utilizará palas, pulaskis, caminos de bomberos, tanques de agua y helicópteros para detectar y contener el fuego que se quema sin llama y se mueve lentamente a lo largo. Helicopteros estarán ayudando las actividades de supresión. Un equipo también está llegando en los próximos días para llevar a cabo una evaluación especializada del área del incendio de First Creek....

Fire Update - Sunday, September 13, 2015 - 9:00 a.m.With a Red Flag Warning in effect today for wind and dry conditions, firefighters have been asked to “look up” continually as they work to avoid the risk of fire-damaged trees blowing over and rolling downslope. The same holds true for recreationists and hunters as they make their way outside for a day of fun in the sun. Fire crews were advised this morning that high temperatures and low humidity represent the leading edge of a changing weather pattern moving into the region. A wetting rain is forecast for Wednesday. Same as yesterday, more than 650 firefighters today will be staffing shovels, pulaskis, engines, dozers, water tenders and helicopters to detect and contain fire as it smolders and creeps along, lays hidden in hot ashes, or torches up into active fire. Four Type 1 helicopters will be dropping water in support of fire suppression activities. A Burn Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) team is also arriving over the...

SUMMARY Stickpin: 54,278 acres; 55% contained Graves Mtn.: 8,587 acres; 65% contained Renner: 13,524 acres; 70% contained Total: 76,389 acres; 60% containedTotal Personnel: 1012 Committed Resources: 28 Crews, 40 Engines, 3 Helicopters, 7 Dozers, 18 Water TendersIncident Summary: The Kettle Complex includes three fires – the Stickpin, Renner, and Graves Mountain fires – all burning south of the Canadian border, west of Highway 395, north of State Route 20, and east of Highway 21. The fires remain at approximately 76,400 acres.Yesterday’s operations: Warm, dry weather Saturday aided burnout operations on the north flank of the Renner Fire, helping secure containment lines. In other areas of the fire, mop-up, repair work and patrols were conducted to ensure the fire remains within its current footprint. Excellent progress was also made on the Graves Mtn. and Stickpin fires including repair work, mop-up, and suppression operations. Crews continue to find and suppress pockets of...

Okanogan Complex Fire Update September 13, 2015, 9:00 AM Fire Information: 877-568-0458 or 877-574-5148, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM Size: 132,937 acres Estimated Cost to Date: $39.5 million Containment: 85 percent Injuries: 7 Total Personnel: 611 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 120 Committed Resources: 13 crews, 36 engines, 5 helicopters, 12 dozers, 17 water tenders CURRENT FIRE SITUATION The Chelan Complex fire update, which had been included in the Okanogan Complex update, will now be an independent document. Chelan’s daily update can be found on its Inciweb site: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4538. Total personnel for the Okanogan Complex decreased yesterday by 371 due to Chelan Complex personnel being removed from the database. North of Buck Mountain on the west side, the fire was moderately active yesterday as fire managers expected, burning downslope toward Forest Road (FR) 42 and creating a widely visible smoke plume. Firefighters held the fire within established firelines....

A guided tour of the Incident Command Post at Fruitland Bible Camp will be offered to the public this afternoon at 2:00 pm. Guests will learn about the Incident Command System and the functions of an Incident Management Team during large incidents. Please wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for touring outside. Current Situation: The Carpenter Road Fire holds at 63,972 acres and is 90% contained. The transition to cooler and windy conditions today will be the biggest test of the fire lines as gusts are expected to reach 25 mph. Fuels have been curing since the last significant rainfall just under a week ago and crews are very mindful of the weather changes and are poised to react quickly. Continued use of handheld infrared heat detectors, heavy equipment and multitudes of fire apparatus surround the Carpenter Road Fire. A helicopter is available for air support and water drops if deemed necessary. The crews are working steadily to decrease the amount of heat along fire perimeters and...

Washington Smoke Information This site is an effort by county, state, and Federal agencies and Indian Tribes to coordinate and aggregate information for Washington communities affected by smoke from wildland fires. The information is posted here by the agencies themselves while volunteers built and maintain the page. ·The map above is not able to display all state air quality monitors. Click here to see all monitors in Washington: WA Ecology Air MonitorsNote: Some users might notice intermittent discrepancies in colors shown on the map of air quality monitors above, and those reported on the Department of Ecology's official page. This is because Ecology believes their method of calculating the air quality category (i.e. “Good”, “Moderate”, Unhealthy” etc) is more protective of public health in Washington. If in doubt as to which better represents public health risk, use the more stringent of the two (i.e. the map showing worse air quality). HOMEAIR QUALITY...

Fire Update – September 13, 2015 8:00 a.m. (PT) North Star and Tunk Block Fire Information 509-826-7140 Tunk Block Fire: Firefighters made good progress toward securing a difficult containment line in the fire’s rugged and difficult northeast corner between Bannon and Tunk Mountains. Success was also achieved in improving line south of Tuck Mountain to Aeneas Mountain area. Today crews will continue to build on their successes and work to mop up any remaining heat near containment lines. As suppression repair plans are completed and appropriate resources arrive, repair work will begin. Weather: The weather is expected to be cooler yet dry Sunday with increased winds as the result of several passing cold fronts tonight and again on Sunday evening. Light winds will test containment lines and could help firefighters find remaining heat near containment lines. Temperatures Monday are expected to fall into the 60’s reducing fire activity. EOC: Damage assessments are...