InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Smoke Summary: Light downslope winds Monday turning to the SW in the afternoon. Inversion will cap smoke and minimize transport in the morning, lifting in the afternoon. A trend of warmer temperatures forecasted, with a slight chance of light scattered rain on Tuesday. Expect some elevated smoke levels in Republic from the north end of the North Star fire throughout the day. Okanogan and Nespelem may see early morning impacts from local fires.

Smoke Summary: Tuesday and Wednesday forecast is for high pressure that will bring a continuous stream of moisture and clouds over NE Washington. This warm and moisture- laden air mass may bring light and scattered showers. Monday nights’ downslope drainage will pool smoke in low lying valley areas near fires, increasing surface concentration of smoke Tuesday morning. Expect smoke to improve as the temperatures rise and inversions lift. Burnout operations will continue on portions of all fires, though clouds and humidity will moderate fire behavior. Extended Outlook: Expect warm, dry and breezy conditions by the

Fire Update – Tuesday, September 8, 2015 – 9:00 a.m. First Creek: Fire personnel will be using handheld infrared devices to search for any remaining hot spots. We remind residents that you may continue to see smoke inside the fire containment lines from time to time, especially with warmer and/or windier weather. Fire fighters are continuing to monitor and will respond when necessary. Residents, especially in the First Creek area, should be aware of the possibility of mudslides after it rains. Www.centralwashingtonfirerecovery.info/floodwatch has more information. Wolverine: The fire continues to smolder. Crews will be improving the Community Protection Line north of the Plain and Leavenworth areas. The line is a vegetated fuel break that is being thinned and brushed, leaving mature trees in place with spacing between them. Weather: Today is the last day of the cooler weather. The forecast for the rest of the week is for hotter and drier, with an increased potential for more...

Crews continue to use calm weather, cooler temperatures, and good overnight moisture recovery to their advantage by securing and reinforcing fireline around critical parts of the fire. The Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 1 – who managed the fire prior to the outgoing Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 2 – will resume control of the Kettle Complex this evening. Efforts to continue suppressing the fires and repairing areas damaged by firefighting activity will remain uninterrupted while the management teams make their transition. Deer Creek-Boulder Creek Road was opened to the public yesterday, however all U.S. Forest Service Roads off the main road remain closed. Please use caution while driving to aviod the risk of falling trees, debris in the roadway, fire traffic, smoke impacts, and wildlife. Minimal fire activity is expected for the next 24 hours but conditions could change if a predicted warming and drying trend sets in by midweek. Predicted warmer and...

Yesterday’s Activities: Firefighters continued working to ensure that their containment lines are secure as the weather warmed up. Major portions of the Tunk Block Fire and areas of North Star Fire including the southern edge, Warwick Road in Aeneas Valley and Scatter Creek are in mop-up and patrol. The primary focus along the eastern edge of the Tunk Block Fire included continuing line construction and strengthening containment lines in preparation for burnout operations should it be necessary to protect Aeneas Valley. Along the western edge of the North Star fire along Highway 155 north near Moses Meadows then east to Trail Creek, burnout operations took place to strengthen fire lines. Steep rocky slopes along Highway 21 are making it difficult for firefighters to construct containment lines. Hot Shot Crews continue line construction and prepare to burnout a section at Nineteen Mile Creek to connect two fire stringers. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited the fire...

Yesterday’s Activities: Firefighters continued working to ensure that their containment lines are secure as the weather warmed up. Major portions of the Tunk Block Fire and areas of North Star Fire including the southern edge, Warwick Road in Aeneas Valley and Scatter Creek are in mop-up and patrol. The primary focus along the eastern edge of the Tunk Block Fire included continuing line construction and strengthening containment lines in preparation for burnout operations should it be necessary to protect Aeneas Valley. Along the western edge of the North Star fire along Highway 155 north near Moses Meadows then east to Trail Creek, burnout operations took place to strengthen fire lines. Steep rocky slopes along Highway 21 are making it difficult for firefighters to construct containment lines. Hot Shot Crews continue line construction and prepare to burnout a section at Nineteen Mile Creek to connect two fire stringers. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited the fire...

A Community Meeting is scheduled for this evening at 6:00 PM in Hunters at the Columbia School. A current update on the Carpenter Road Fire will be given and an opportunity to ask questions will be provided. Current Situation: The Carpenter Road Fire remains estimated at 65,068 acres and is 85% contained. The weather will again stay overcast with a slight chance of scattered showers over the northern portion of the fire. Temperatures will be slightly warmer with winds increasing steadily into the afternoon and with gusts to 12 mph on the slopes. Minimal fire behavior is expected however, fuels will continue to dry. Warmer temperatures are forecast starting Wednesday and into the weekend. Assisted by the remaining ground moisture, firefighters will mop up containment lines and implement suppression repair tactics. A group of heavy equipment has been established to assist crews in repair work by pulling dozer berms and moving larger items near the fire lines. Along the uncontained...

Demon CleanersBy Grant Tucker To our brothers and sisters on the fireline From the Aussies It starts with lightning and a huge roar as heaven strikes earth with the hammer of Thor The south wind blows hard and pushes the flames across the mountains and into the plains The devil does run fast, much faster than man the firefighters work hard and do what they can The sun sets, the dew settles, the temperature drops time to surround it or it will not stop As night falls the flames die, but embers still glow like a city for one night, only firefighters will know The dawn brings a new land, a kingdom of black a vast ocean of ashes where ancient timber was stacked An air filled with smoke haze and ghosts of old logs crisscross the landscape between the bare rocks The demon has been cleaned, the fire is now gone a moment of still silence and then life goes on

Monday, September 7, 2015, PM 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/ A Community Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM in Hunters at the Columbia School. A current update on the Carpenter Road Fire will be given and an opportunity to ask questions will be provided. Current Situation: The Carpenter Road Fire remains estimated at 65,068 acres and is now 85% contained. Firefighters were fully engaged on the containment lines of the Carpenter Road Fire today. Crews continued to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and moisture and finished construction of containment lines surrounding the entire fire. Firefighters patrolled for hot spots and mopped...

.On August 26, 2015, a fire raged through the dense forest on Turk Road in Fruitland, WA. An assorted team of structural fire fighters named “the Billy Goats” raced to protect the homes on the rugged narrow mountainous roads. The Billy Goats, were comprised of Pullman Fire Department, Kennewick Fire Department, Walla Walla County Fire Department #4 and Benton County Fire Department #1 and #4. While protecting Greg and Mary Howard’s home, they saw a large American flag beginning to catch fire. Quick action saved the home, but the flag was damaged beyond repair. Taking possession of the tattered flag, former Marine now Spokane Bureau of Land Management employee, Anthony Matthews, took lead of proper flag retirement and securing a new flag. Anthony was able to obtain a replacement flag from a friend and former Navy corpsman Cader Brown of Post Falls, ID. On September 2nd, the Billy Goats drove back up the rugged roads to Greg Howard’s home. A small ceremony was performed before...

A Public Meeting is planned for September 8th, 6:00 pm at the Columbia School in Hunters, WA. Please come to hear an update on firefighting operations of the Carpenter Road Fire and an opportunity to ask questions.

Kettle Falls, WA. – Pacific Northwest Team 2, the National Incident Management Team in command of the Kettle Complex, coordinated community meetings on September 5th in Orient and 6th in Malo, Washington. Residents of Malo and Orient received updates on the Kettle Complex and North Star/Tunk Block fires this weekend. The Ferry County Emergency Operation Center and Red Cross presented information about evacuations and emergency shelters. Washington Department of Natural Resources, Ferry County Conservation District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Firewise/Ready, Set, Go, and Pacific Northwest Team 2 presented information about post-fire safety. Attendees learned about steps they can take to make homes and businesses safer from future wildfires. Resource lists are available on Facebook at KettleComplexFire, kettlecomplexfire.wordpress.com, http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4536/#, or by emailing stickpinfireinfo@gmail.com. You can watch the meetings on Youtube by...

As a result of the Okanogan Complex fires, the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest has issued an area closure order, effective Friday, September 4, 2015. The public is not allowed on federal lands, roads, and trails within the area closure. PDFs of the closure order and map are linked (right) under "related information."

Deer Creek-Boulder Creek Road opened to traffic today at 8:00 a.m. Please use caution while driving on this and other roads due to the risk of falling trees, debris in the roadway, fire vehicles, isolated smoke obscuring visibility, and wildlife on the move. The rain and cooler than normal temperatures this past weekend has aided firefighters significantly, allowing crews and bulldozers to construct direct fireline and perform mop-up operations along many parts of the fire edge. Minimal fire activity is expected for the next 48 hours in the Colville National Forest and surrounding area. The improving conditions have allowed the last British Columbia Wildfire Services firefighters to return home to Canada. Their contributions have been outstanding.While conditions have improved, there is still a risk of isolated flare-ups when fuel, topography, and weather align to promote fire spread. Ridgetops and southern exposed slopes are most at risk for open flames. Even with the recent rains,...

Reunión pública de la comunidad: No hay para hoy. El Pacific Crest Trail ya está abierto en el Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Los cierres forestales todavía están en su lugar, pero han sido modificados. Favor de chequear el sitio de Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest para más detalle. Los negocios alrededor de Lake Wenatchee están abiertos este fin de semana. Como comportamiento del fuego disminuye y todos disfrutan un cielo claro y bonitas costas le pedimos que recuerde que las restricciones de fuego siguen. El Aumento de vientos y las temperaturas puede traer más comportamiento activo del fuego en los combustibles afectados por la sequía. First Creek: El fuego recibió aproximadamente un décimo de una pulgada de lluvia ayer. Los equipos siguen patrullando y trabajando en rehabilitación. Pedimos que residentes recuerden que los humos interiores seguirán ocurriendo. Ya que los residentes están regresando al área, se les pide que sean conscientes de la...

Smoke Summary: Light downslope winds Monday turning to the SW in the afternoon. Inversion will cap smoke and minimize transport in the morning, lifting in the afternoon. A trend of warmer temperatures forecasted, with a slight chance of light scattered rain on Tuesday. Expect some elevated smoke levels in Republic from the north end of the North Star fire throughout the day. Okanogan and Nespelem may see early morning impacts from local fires.

Smoke Summary: Light downslope winds Monday turning to the SW in the afternoon. Inversion will cap smoke and minimize transport in the morning, lifting in the afternoon. A trend of warmer temperatures forecasted, with a slight chance of light scattered rain on Tuesday. Expect some elevated smoke levels in Republic from the north end of the North Star fire throughout the day. Okanogan and Nespelem may see early morning impacts from local fires.

Okanogan Complex and Chelan Complex Fire UpdateSeptember 7, 2015, 9:00 AMFire Information: 877-568-0458 or 877-574-5148, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PMOkanogan Complex Size: 148,780 acres Containment: 70 percent Estimated Cost to Date: 30.3 million Injuries: 7 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 123 Total Personnel: 1,300 Committed Resources: 25 crews, 73 engines, 9 helicopters18 dozers, 25 water tenders, 9 skidgines, 1 masticator Chelan Complex Size: 94,301 acres Containment: 75 percent Estimated Cost to Date: $16.1 million Injuries: 9 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 23 Total Personnel: 680 Committed Resources: 11 crews, 52 engines, 6 helicopters, 5 dozers, 14 water tenders, 4 skidgines, 1 masticator OKANOGAN COMPLEXLime Belt Fire (132,838 acres, 60 percent contained): The priority for firefighters today is to mop up and secure the contained line that they’ve worked hard to establish. On the west side, tree-falling crews, in coordination with resource advisors, will continue to work...

GLENWOOD, WA – Today firefighters will continue mopping up and improving the strength of existing containment lines. Crews are also focused on completing a small portion of containment line on the north end of the fire in an area of heavy fuels and large timber. Today will be another opportunistic fire weather day for mopping up and improving strength of existing firelines, however a warming and drying trend begins today as high pressure gradually builds over the region. An upper trough is expected to bring cooler and more humid conditions late in the weekend. Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) teams have arrived to assess the needs of these fires. BAER teams consist of scientists and specialists such as hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, road engineers, botanists, wildlife and fisheries biologists, archeologists, geographic information specialists, and silviculturists from federal, tribal and state agencies. BAER reports are shared with...

Okanogan Complex and Chelan Complex Fire Update September 7, 2015, 9:00 AM Fire Information: 877-568-0458 or 877-574-5148, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM Okanogan Complex Size: 148,780 acres Containment: 70 percent Estimated Cost to Date: 30.3 million Injuries: 7 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 123 Total Personnel: 1,300 Committed Resources: 25 crews, 73 engines, 9 helicopters 18 dozers, 25 water tenders, 9 skidgines, 1 masticator Chelan Complex Size: 94,301 acres Containment: 75 percent Estimated Cost to Date: $16.1 million Injuries: 9 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 23 Total Personnel: 680 Committed Resources: 11 crews, 52 engines, 6 helicopters, 5 dozers, 14 water tenders, 4 skidgines, 1 masticator OKANOGAN COMPLEX Lime Belt Fire (132,838 acres, 60 percent contained): The priority for firefighters today is to mop up and secure the contained line that they’ve worked hard to establish. On the west side, tree-falling crews, in coordination with resource advisors, will continue to work...