InciWeb Articles WA

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...

Increased Fire Activity Expected with Warm and Dry Weather Fire activity is expected to increase the next few days. Low relative humidities, warm temperatures, and increased winds are predicted for today through Friday. Temperatures are expected to reach mid-80s with relative humidity at 23-30% with winds out of the north to northeast 4 - 10 mph. Smoke likely to be transported to the south and southwest from predicted northeast winds.The Hayes Fire had increased fire activity Tuesday and moved northwesterly and upslope with current size estimated at 1617 acres. The Godkin Fire is estimated at 515 acres and moved upslope in a northwesterly direction towards the ridgeline. Water drops from a helicopter were used in the afternoon to strengthen confinement barrier on the Cox Valley Fires. It produced a small amount of visible smoke throughout the day on Tuesday and is holding at 56 acres. The Ignar Creek Fire reported very little smoke and remains under an acre.The recently arrived...

Park officials and fire managers closed an approximately eight-mile section of the Elwha River Trail at 3:30 pm Monday Afternoon, to provide for public safety in the vicinity of two wilderness fires. The trail is now closed from the Hayes River Ranger Station south to Chicago Camp. The trail remains open from Hayes River north to the Whiskey Bend Trailhead and from Chicago Camp south. Wilderness permit holders for that area were notified of the closure and provided information about alternative routes.

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 – Crews made good progress on constructing a fireline around the fire. Moderate temperatures and calm winds aided in the firefighting effort, which is being supported from the air and the water. Three helicopters, five “fire boss” single engine scooper planes, as well as a National Park Service boat are being used to provide water over the fire and safety support for firefighters. Today’s Operations – Additional crews and engines arrived yesterday evening. The primary focus will be on strengthening fireline in the northwest portion of the fire and extinguishing all fires within 300 feet of structures. Weather and Fire Behavior – The winds have shifted to north/northeast and generally light, with gusts to 16 mph on ridges and in open areas. This wind direction will likely bring...

Northwest Incident Management Team 11Nathan Rabe – Incident Commander Gary Jennings – Deputy Incident Commander Bruce Holloway – Deputy Incident CommanderFire Information: (509) 477-2780 Email: spokanecomplexfires@gmail.com Website: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4978/# Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Spokane-Complex-Fires-654661321356517/ Wednesday, August 24, 2016, 9:00 am Fire managers of the Spokane Complex will sponsor a public meeting tonight at 6:00 pm to interact with members of the public regarding the current fire situation. The meeting will be held at the Freeman High School gymnasium. Last night after consultation with fire managers, the Spokane County Sheriff reduced all evacuation levels to Level 1. Essentially, this level of evacuation notice means that the public should be aware that there is still active fire in the area. Please contact the Spokane County Sheriff or Spokane Emergency Management at:...

A Public Information meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 24th at 6 p.m. at the Freeman High School. Fire management personnel will be available to explain the current state of the Yale Road Fire suppression efforts and answer questions. More information at 509-477-2780 or spokanecomplexfires@gmail.com

Greater Spokane Emergency Management 8/23/2016 2000 Hours FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Spokane County Evacuation level downgraded to level one for Spokane Complex Fires At 8:00 PM Spokane County Sherriff Ozzie Knezovich issued the following statement, “Through coordination with the Fire Management Team, The Spokane County Sherriff’s Office has downgraded the evacuation level for the Yale Road Fire to a level one. This downgrade has been made possible by the efforts of firefighters, law enforcement, and all the great community support and volunteers.” For those returning for the first time since the evacuation, residents are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings and survey their property as the landscape may have changed. Here is a link to a map showing the level one evacuation area: http://spokanecounty.maps. arcgis.com/apps/ PublicInformation/index.html? appid= c59f8ed40fc14ecfb91f37f80dd95a 12 Spokane County Commissioner Shelly O’Quinn,...

The local Red Cross has established a case worker phone number to assist those affected by Spokane Complex Fires. The phone number is