InciWeb Articles & Incidents for Washington and Oregon

Fire Update – Monday, September 7, 2015 – 9:00 a.m. Note: The Pacific Crest Trail is now open on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Forest closures are still in place but have been modified. Please check the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest webpage for details. The businesses around Lake Wenatchee are open this holiday weekend. As fire behavior diminishes, we ask you to remember that fire restrictions remain in effect. Increasing winds and temperatures may usher in more active fire behavior in drought-stricken fuels. Please remain vigilant and prevent human-caused wildfires. First Creek: The fire received about a tenth of an inch of rain yesterday. Crews continue patrolling for any hot spots and rehabilitating fire lines. We ask residents to remember that interior smokes will continue to occur. As residents return to the First Creek area, they are asked to be aware of the possibility of mudslides following any rain events. Visit...

Yesterday’s Activities: The fuels in the fire area began drying after the rain Saturday. Parts of the southwest and northwest corners of the North Star Fire dried sufficiently for small burnouts to secure containment lines. Hand and dozer lines to control fire spread continued to be constructed along the southwest and west portions of the North Star Fire, and the northeast boundary of the Tunk Block Fire (NE Tunk Mountain). A large portion of the Tunk Block Fire and the southern edge of the North Star fire are in mop-up and patrol. About 150 people participated in the public meeting in Republic. Today’s Operations: If conditions permit, crews will continue burnout in portions of the north (Cornell Butte), northeast and southwest portion of the North Star Fire. In the Highway 21 corridor, crews will try to keep the fire on the higher slopes above the road in the Nanamkin Creek area. Fireline construction, mop-up and patrol will continue, and rehabilitation of firelines may...

Yesterday’s Activities: The fuels in the fire area began drying after the rain Saturday. Parts of the southwest and northwest corners of the North Star Fire dried sufficiently for small burnouts to secure containment lines. Hand and dozer lines to control fire spread continued to be constructed along the southwest and west portions of the North Star Fire, and the northeast boundary of the Tunk Block Fire (NE Tunk Mountain). A large portion of the Tunk Block Fire and the southern edge of the North Star fire are in mop-up and patrol. About 150 people participated in the public meeting in Republic. Today’s Operations: If conditions permit, crews will continue burnout in portions of the north (Cornell Butte), northeast and southwest portion of the North Star Fire. In the Highway 21 corridor, crews will try to keep the fire on the higher slopes above the road in the Nanamkin Creek area. Fireline construction, mop-up and patrol will continue, and rehabilitation of firelines may...

Alder Lake Fire Update Date: September 7, 2015 Phone: 360-496-5429 The Alder Lake Fire was ignited by lightning and first reported on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 in very steep inaccessible terrain with heavy dead and down fuel loading. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, in coordination with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, is currently managing the fire that is approximately 4 miles East of Elbe, Washington on the south side of Alder Lake. Road closures are in effect for the 74 and 7409 roads and the area of fire containment and need to be followed. See attached map and closure order for specifics. Columbia Cascade Type 3 Incident Management Team is currently assigned to the fire. The fire is 280 acres, 17% contained, with 118 personnel working on the incident. There has been an immense amount of work done by crews to create containment lines consisting of 12.7 miles of roads, dozer, and hand line. Despite recent moisture, interior areas and the west and...

F or 50ion: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/Current Situation:The Carpenter Road Fire is estimated at 65,068 acres and 70% containment. Yesterday afternoon, multiple rounds of gun fire were discharged near the fire area. The number one objective of every fire management organization is to provide for firefighter and public safety during wildland fire suppression efforts. Firefighters will not engage if their safety is in question. Please be cautious during any activities near the firefighters and suppression efforts.Along the southern portion of the fire, mostly along tribal lands, suppression repair work is well underway. Crews assigned to the west and northwest areas of the fire are in a patrol and mop up. This is to ensure that any remaining hot spots within the burn area do not make their way beyond the containment line. Firefighters in the northeast division will continue to construct direct lines along the fire’s edge. Additional crews will start mop up and suppression repair on...

Current Situation: The Carpenter Road Fire is estimated at 65,068 acres and 70% containment. Firefighters were able to successfully access the containment lines of the Carpenter Road Fire and continue working this morning after Mother Nature’s assistance with almost an inch of rain over most of the fire area. The fire had not moved from its foot print of the past several days. This afternoon, several crews of firefighters on a portion of the east side of the fire had to disengage from the fire lines after multiple rounds of gun fire were discharged near the fire area. The number one objective of every fire management organization is to provide for firefighter and public safety during wildland fire suppression efforts. Firefighters will not re-engage if their safety is in question. Please be cautious during any activities near the firefighters and suppression efforts. Firefighters are concentrating on completing direct containment line as close to the fire’s...

There are multiple fires being managed in north central Washington. Please use extreme caution when driving through fire areas. Stay alert and be aware of fire equipment and firefighters working along the roads. Drive with headlights on and do not stop or park along the roads to watch the fire or firefighting activities. Also be aware that hazard trees and rocks could fall on the roads. Drive

There are multiple fires being managed in north central Washington. Please use extreme caution when driving through fire areas. Stay alert and be aware of fire equipment and firefighters working along the roads. Drive with headlights on and do not stop or park along the roads to watch the fire or firefighting activities. Also be aware that hazard trees and rocks could fall on the roads. Drive defensively.

Reunión pública de la comunidad: Hoy en español el domingo, 6 de septiembre a las 6:30pm en el Spanish Assembly of God, 55 S. Quetilquasoon Rd., Manson. 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: 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...

GLENWOOD, WA – Yesterday firefighters made significant progress on the Cougar Creek fire. Cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity and resource prioritization aided in significant production. Today firefighters will continue mopping up and improving the strength of existing containment lines. Whenever possible crews will use natural barriers and improve existing roads and dozer lines to minimize disturbing soil and vegetation. Temperatures remain 5 to 10° below normal for this time of year. Todays wind speeds will be slightly lower compared to yesterday with ridge top winds 6-12mph gusting to 20 mph out of the North West, with a high temperature of 62°. Mondays forecast will feature relatively warmer and drier conditions behind the trough. Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) teams have arrived to assess the needs of these fires. BAER team surveys are a rapid assessment of the burned areas that evaluate burned watersheds and determine the potential for increased...

Okanogan Complex and Chelan Complex Fire Update September 6, 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: 65 percent Estimated Cost to Date: 33.9 million Injuries: 7 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 123 Total Personnel: 1,107 Committed Resources: 16 crews, 72 engines, 9 helicopters 11 dozers, 22 water tenders, 9 skidgines, 1 masticator Chelan Complex Size: 93,896 acres Containment: 75 percent Estimated Cost to Date: $16.9 million Injuries: 9 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 23 Total Personnel: 704 Committed Resources: 11 crews, 57 engines, 5 dozers, 14 water tenders, 4 skidgines, 1 masticator OKANOGAN COMPLEX Lime Belt Fire (132,838 acres, 60 percent contained): Yesterday firefighters attempted a burning operation off Forest Road (FR) 42, but the high humidity and cloudy skies hampered burning. A firing operation is considered successful if it adequately burns the surface fuels, creating...

FERRY COUNTY SHERIFF POST OFFICE BOX 1099 REPUBLIC, WASHINGTON 99166-1099 (509) 775-3136 FAX (509) 775-0145 September 6, 2015 For Immediate Release Due to recent rains and significant progress of fire crews, the following condition changes have occurred: Effective immediately, the city of Republic is reduced to evacuation Level 1. The area south of Highway 20 west is downgraded to Level 2. The west side of Highway 21 from McMann Creek south to Bridge Creek Road remains Level 3. Crews are still working a stretch in the 19-Mile area, and the highway will remain closed due to the ongoing suppression and containment efforts.In the Kettle Complex, Boulder Creek Road is scheduled to re-open at Monday at 8:00 am, however all connecting access roads will remain blocked.The Ferry County Sheriff’s office reminds you that all of Ferry County remains in a Level 1 status, and to be aware of updates as there is still active fire in many areas.

Saturday’s public meeting in Orient was attended by approximately 70 members of the community. They received information about the current Kettle Complex fire situation, protecting their property from wildfire in the future, and about local resources that can help in that endeavor. Yesterday’s precipitation allowed firefighters on the Kettle Complex to make excellent progress constructing and improving direct and indirect fireline. Though helpful, the rain itself will not put the fire out, and it limited air operations ability to provide support. Work today will be focused on securing fireline in areas where needed, mopping up burned areas, and initiating repair work where appropriate. Helicopters will resume operations to support firefighting work on the ground, as weather permits. Firefighting crews also remain in a state of readiness to initial attack any new starts that are detected. Nearly 1,000 personnel are still assigned to the complex. Stickpin Fire: Today,...

Okanogan Complex and Chelan Complex Fire Update September 6, 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: 65 percent Estimated Cost to Date: 33.9 million Injuries: 7 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 123 Total Personnel: 1,107 Committed Resources: 16 crews, 72 engines, 9 helicopters 11 dozers, 22 water tenders, 9 skidgines, 1 masticator Chelan Complex Size: 93,896 acres Containment: 75 percent Estimated Cost to Date: $16.9 million Injuries: 9 Residences Damaged or Destroyed: 23 Total Personnel: 704 Committed Resources: 11 crews, 57 engines, 5 dozers, 14 water tenders, 4 skidgines, 1 masticator OKANOGAN COMPLEX Lime Belt Fire (132,838 acres, 60 percent contained): Yesterday firefighters attempted a burning operation off Forest Road (FR) 42, but the high humidity and cloudy skies hampered burning. A firing operation is considered successful if it adequately burns the surface fuels, creating “clean...

Fire Update – Sunday, September 6, 2015 – 9:00 a.m. Community Meeting: Tonight there will be a public meeting in Spanish at 6:30 pm at the Spanish Assembly of God, 55 S. Quetilquasoon Rd, in Manson. Note: The Pacific Crest Trail is now open on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Forest closures are still in place but have been modified. Please check the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest webpage for details. The businesses around Lake Wenatchee are open this holiday weekend. As fire behavior diminishes, we ask you to remember that fire restrictions remain in effect. Increasing winds and temperatures may usher in more active fire behavior in drought-stricken fuels. Please remain vigilant and prevent human-caused wildfires. First Creek: Crews continue patrolling for any hot spots and rehabilitating fire lines. We ask residents to remember that interior smokes will continue to occur. As residents return to the First Creek area, they are asked to be aware of the...

Yesterday’s Activities: Rain, especially on the North Star Fire, and high humidity reduced fire activity and aided with mop-up. It also delayed burnout operations that were planned to secure fire lines and better protect homes and private property. Hand and dozer lines to control fire spread continued to be constructed along the southwest and west portions of the North Star Fire, and the northeast boundary of the Tunk Block Fire (NE Tunk Mountain). A large portion of the Tunk Block Fire and the southern edge of the North Star fire are in mop-up and patrol. Three task forces with three engines each from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) completed their assignment on the fire. They were stationed in Republic. Today’s Operations: If conditions permit, crews will continue burnout in portions of the Hwy 21 corridor, the southwest portion of the North Star Fire, and a small area on the Tunk Block Fire southwest of Disautel. Fireline construction, mop-up and patrol will...

Smoke Summary: Precipitation moved through the region on Saturday, providing moisture to the higher elevations including Republic, Kettle Falls and Colville areas. Omak did not receive precipatation on Saturday and is expected to remain dry Sunday, with a slight chance of showers on Monday.Sunday morning winds will be NW and switching to the south-southwest in the afternoon. Expect breezy conditions in the afternoon. Communities north of fires may see degrading air quality Sunday afternoon due to shift in wind direction. Night time inversions are at the ground level,trapping early morning smoke. Smoke will lift due to the increase of the afternoon mixing heights. Monitoring: We are currently tracking smoke concentrations at 11 communities surrounding the wildfire areas.

Smoke Summary: Precipitation moved through the region on Saturday, providing moisture to the higher elevations including Republic, Kettle Falls and Colville areas. Omak did not receive precipatation on Saturday and is expected to remain dry Sunday, with a slight chance of showers on Monday.Sunday morning winds will be NW and switching to the south-southwest in the afternoon. Expect breezy conditions in the afternoon. Communities north of fires may see degrading air quality Sunday afternoon due to shift in wind direction. Night time inversions are at the ground level,trapping early morning smoke. Smoke will lift due to the increase of the afternoon mixing heights. Monitoring: We are currently tracking smoke concentrations at 11 communities surrounding the wildfire areas.

Fire Update Sunday, September 6, 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 Carpenter Road Fire is estimated at 64,903 acres and 60% containment. Significant amounts of precipitation fell over the fire yesterday. The incident command post at Fruitland Bible Camp received over 1 inch of rain. The remote automated weather station (RAWS) at the south end of the fire measured 1.5 inches of rain and the RAWS at the north end, approximately 0.6 inches. Anticipating cooler temperatures for today and warmer and drier days to follow, fire managers are planning all actions based on safety for personnel to meet objectives. Areas once covered with a bed of dust could now become mud,...

Yesterday’s Activities: Rain, especially on the North Star Fire, and high humidity reduced fire activity and aided with mop-up. It also delayed burnout operations that were planned to secure fire lines and better protect homes and private property. Hand and dozer lines to control fire spread continued to be constructed along the southwest and west portions of the North Star Fire, and the northeast boundary of the Tunk Block Fire (NE Tunk Mountain). A large portion of the Tunk Block Fire and the southern edge of the North Star fire are in mop-up and patrol. Three task forces with three engines each from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) completed their assignment on the fire. They were stationed in Republic. Today’s Operations: If conditions permit, crews will continue burnout in portions of the Hwy 21 corridor, the southwest portion of the North Star Fire, and a small area on the Tunk Block Fire southwest of Disautel. Fireline construction, mop-up and patrol will...