InciWeb Articles WA

Kewa Fire Information: August 11, 2016, 10am NW Incident Management Team 9, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 2, 2016 Current Size: 1,889 acres Percent Containment: 75% Location: 15 miles south of Inchelium, WA on the Colville Indian Reservation This will be the last Daily Update from NW Incident Management Team 9. Management of the fire will transfer Friday, August 12, 2016 at 6am from NW Team 9 (Type 2) to a local Type 3 organization, led by incident commander Brandon Sutton. Road Closures Lifted All Road closures in the Kewa Fire area have been lifted as of today. Today’s plan Crews will continue to mop up from firelines toward the fire’s interior on all sides today. Burned area safety Please use extra caution if traveling through burned areas. Even after heat and flames are gone, burned areas can be hazardous to firefighters and the public. Hazards include snags, stump holes and rolling material. Snags, standing...

Kewa Fire Information: August 10, 2016, 10am NW 9 Incident Management Team, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 2, 2016 Current Size: 1,889 acres Percent Containment: 65% Location: 15 miles south of Inchelium, WA on the Colville Indian Reservation Yesterday’s actions and today’s plan Until yesterday, a few rugged areas of the fire remained unlined, but the cooler temperatures and moisture provided optimal conditions for finishing these sections. Efforts to widen these lines will continue today by extinguishing any remaining heat near the edge. Total resources on the fire: 497, including 16 crews, 11 engines, 16 water tenders, 3 skidgens, one dozer, and one helicopter. Today’s forecast is cloudy with a slight chance of showers. A warming trend will develop over the next few days. Mopping up with specialized equipment Following fire’s movement through an area, much of the vegetation and fuels above ground are consumed and flames...

NOTICE: Kewa Fire evacuation levels are reduced to a level 1, effective August 9, 2016.

Kewa Fire Information: August 9, 2016, 10am NW 9 Incident Management Team, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 2, 2016 Current Size: 1,912 acres Percent Containment: 65% Location: 15 miles south of Inchelium, WA on the Colville Indian Reservation Evacuation Levels Reduced Evacuation levels have been reduced to a level 1 throughout the fire area. Today’s plan Fire crews are making good progress on the fire and will continue to mop up along firelines. Total resources on the fire: 581, including 16 crews; 20 engines; 17 water tenders; five skidgens, and four dozers; two helicopters, an air attack, and four FireBosses, available, if needed. Today’s forecast is cloudy with a chance of showers; the fire could experience heavy rain and strong winds if a thunderstorm passes over the area. A warming trend will develop over the next few days. Determining Fire Behavior Fire behavior is influenced by many factors, primarily weather, fuel...

Kewa Fire Information: August 8, 2016, 10am NW 9 Incident Management Team, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 2, 2016 Current Size: 1,951 acres Percent Containment: 55% Location: 15 miles south of Inchelium, WA on the Colville Indian Reservation Today’s plan Resources will increase mop up distance from the firelilne toward the interior. Cooler, wetter weather will help this effort. Forecasted thunderstorms and gusty, erratic winds can create hazards on the fireline, including fire-weakened trees. Crews will post lookouts to reduce this risk. Fire crews will grid an aspen stand near a residence. Gridding consists of searching for smoldering fire by travelling through an area on parallel lines. Total resources on the fire: 573, including 16 crews; 20 engines; 14 water tenders; five skidgens, and four dozers; three helicopters, an air attack, and four FireBosses, available, if needed. Fire planning and the PACE Model ...

SNAKE RIVER FIREAUGUST 7, 2016 10:30PMNews from the fire line:Firefighters have completed fire line construction and mop up of the Snake River Fire. Crews have all demobilized and the incident will be turned back to Garfield County Fire District 1 and Whitman County Fire District 14. The Southeast Washington Incident Management Team would like the thank everyone who supported firefighters during this incident.The Snake River Fire started on August 2nd at 12:50pm and quickly grew due to high winds and dry conditions. It started in Garfield county across from Granite Point on the Snake River. The fire jumped the river to Whitman County at about 4:30pm. The initial efforts of the local firefighters and residents stopped many homes and crops from burning, and the state mobilization resources came in on August 3rd to help give the initial attack crews a rest. The Southeast Incident Management Team managed the incident through August 7th.CONTAINMENT: 100%SIZE: 11,452 acresLOCATION: 12 miles...

NEWS RELEASE Update on Fletcher Road Fire burning south of Lyons FerryA fire burning in Columbia and Walla Walla County is now estimated at 2,000 acres. The fire is south of Lyons Ferry and state mobilization has been approved for resources.The fire was started by lightning. DNR heavy and light air tankers are on scene, along with state mobilization resources that responded after being demobilized from the Snake River Fire, and local resources.Lyons Ferry Rd is closed from Highway 261 south to TOMCO seed. Please avoid the area while firefighters are at work. In addition, Highway 261 is closed from Lyons Ferry to Powers. No evacuations are in place. For any media requests, please contact PIOs Megan Hill, at 509-939-5216 or Michael Krueger, at 509-290-9918.LOCATION: Near Fletcher Rd and Lyons Ferry/Highway 261ACREAGE: 2,000 (approximately)CONTAINMENT: 0%# OF PERSONNEL ON SCENE: 180 (approximately)RESOURCES: Brush engines, hand crew, heavy air tanker, single engine air tanker,

There is a new fire burning in the Fletcher Rd area near Lyons Ferry in Columbia County, WA. At 10:45AM, State Mobilization was authorized to assist with this fire. 7 strike teams of engines, one hand crew and one dozer that were demobilized from the Snake River Fire near Pomeroy responded to help the local resources fight that fire, and are on scene now. Air resources have been ordered and are enroute from Deer Park, WA. The incident management team that is managing the Snake River fire will help with management of this new fire. More updates will be sent out as information comes in. For information on this new fire, please contact: Public Information Officer Megan Hill – 509-939-5216 Public Information Officer Michael Krueger – 509-290-9918 ###

Wilderness fires are quiet, and likely to stay that way for several days. Temperatures in Olympic National Park were cooler than normal the past four days, and overnight humidity recovery has been excellent. The four fires in the wilderness continue smoldering, and almost no smoke was visible Saturday. On Saturday, fire managers released the additional resources who helped with monitoring and long term planning while the fires were active. Olympic National Park’s fire personnel will continue to monitor the fires. “Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts” is the first rule all wildland fire personnel follow when deciding what fire management actions are appropriate. The National Weather Service’s “Fire Weather Forecast” for the fire areas Sunday through Tuesday calls for continued cool and cloudy conditions, and light winds. Existing fires will continue smoldering, without growing. There is some possibility of lightning late Sunday, yet that is...

Kewa Fire Information: August 7, 2016, 10am NW 9 Incident Management Team, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 2, 2016 Current Size: 1,966 acres Percent Containment: 45% Location: 15 miles south of Inchelium, WA on the Colville Indian Reservation Today’s plan · On the west side of the fire hand crews are using extended hose lays to continue mop up from the line toward the interior. Engine crews continue to do the same along the east side of the fire. · Mop up operations have been completed on the south end of the fire, which is now in a patrol status. Firefighters are using an infared camera to locate isolated pockets of heat. Unlike common cameras that use visible light to capture images, infared cameras detect radiant heat. · Resources on the fire today include 20 engines; 10 water tenders; 14 crews; four FireBosses; two Type1, one Type2 and one Type3 helicopters, an air attack, two skidgens, and three dozers. A burnout is possible if conditions...

Kewa Fire Information: August 6, 2016, 10am NW 9 Incident Management Team, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Start date: Aug. 2, 2016 Current Size: 1,946 acres Percent Containment: 35% Location: The Kewa Fire is 15 miles south of Inchelium, WA on the Colville Indian Reservation Today’s plan Crews will continue securing lines and mopping up. Resources on the fire today include 31 engines; 13 crews; four FireBosses; two Type1, one Type2 and one Type3 helicopters, an air attack, two skidgens, three water tenders and five dozers. A burnout is possible if conditions are favorable On the fire’s west side, firefighters have identified a challenging area: a bowl. This broad draw between ridges is steep, rugged and contains tall brush and trees. Fire is active at lower levels of the bowl with torching, crowning and up-slope runs. Fireline construction through the bowl could present a safety hazard. To prevent fire from spreading out of the bowl, fire...

News from the fire line:The Snake River fire remains at 11,452 acres and 85% contained this morning as the crews head out to the line. Firefighters will continue to patrol the perimeter and search for hot spots.Weather in the area continues to be a concern. There is a red flag warning in effect until 8:00pm Sunday, with the possibility of thunderstorms and dry lightning.Many of the firefighters demobilized and are headed home to all parts of the state today. Citizens can expect to see a marked decrease in the presence of out of town firefighters as the team prepares to turn the fire back to the local officials.Wawawai River Road opened up for public traffic at 8:00pm Saturday. Citizens are reminded that there will still be firefighters and trucks patrolling that area of the fire on Sunday.The Snake River fire started on August 2 at 12:50pm and quickly grew due to high winds and dry conditions. It started in Garfield County across from Granite Point on the Snake River. The fire jumped...

Wawawai River Road will open for traffic at 8:00pm on Saturday, August 6th, 2016. Be aware that there will still be fire vehicles patrolling the edges of the burned area. Use

Olympic National Park Fire Update Saturday, August 06, 2016 Contact: olympicfireinformation@gmail.com Fire history: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4906/ Yesterday’s fire observations show that fire activity remains minimal. The National Weather Service calls for cooler moist air to drift over Olympic National Park through the weekend with elevated humidity and below early August seasonal temperatures. This weather pattern will result in a continuation of limited fire behavior. Even with cooler weather expected, the four fires still have the potential to smolder and creep along the forest floor. Smoke may not be visible in the park or from surrounding communities; however this is not an indicator that the fires are no longer burning. The fires can remain active for long periods of time even during cool, wet weather conditions. Underground root systems and forest floor material can still burn and smolder with wet weather. If a warmer and dryer weather system moves in...

SNAKE RIVER FIRE AUGUST 6, 2016. 9:00AM News from the fire line: Fire fighters will be working towards 100% containment today on the Snake River Fire. Overnight, there was one flare up on the west side of the fire, which was quickly extinguished. This flare up, however, illustrates that there is more work to do on the fire. The fire is 11,362 acres and 70% contained. The weather continues to be a concern for firefighters. There is a red flag warning in the area. Dry lightning is a possibility so there are crews and dozers assigned to be ready to respond as quickly as possible to any fire in the area; this is a priority for fire managers today. In addition to the initial attack readiness, the firefighters will be working on mop up on the line. They will be assisted by one helicopter with a helicopter attack crew. The Snake River fire started on Tuesday, August 2nd at 12:50pm and quickly grew due to high winds and dry conditions. It started in Garfield county just across from...

Kewa Fire News Release NW 9 Incident Management Team, Brian Goff, Incident Commander Date: August 5, 2016, 9:30pm Contact: Kewa Fire Info. Desk: 509-722-7641 Evacuation Levels Reduced in Kewa Fire Area; Road Closures Remain Evacuation levels associated with the Kewa Fire have been reduced to a level 2 throughout the affected area due to reduced risk from fire. A level 2 evacuation means BE READY. This level indicates there is significant risk to your area, and residents should either voluntarily relocate to a shelter or with family/friends outside of the area, or be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Road Closures remain in the Kewa area south of Box Canyon and include: Kewa-Meteor Road from Twin Lakes-Nez Perce Road to Silver Creek RoadKewa Road from Kewa-Meteor Road to Silver Creek Road In addition, fire managers discourage people from using surrounding roads due to heavy emergency vehicle traffic and smoke. Jean Goad, Kewa Fire Lead PIO...

SNAKE RIVER FIREAUGUST 5, 2016 9:00PMNews from the fire line:Today was a quiet day on the Snake River fire. Crews are mopping up the burned area on both sides of the river, in all divisions. There are still quite a few hot spots in areas, which is what firefighters worked on the most. The fire is 11,362 acres and 70% contained.The weather is a concern for fire managers over the coming weekend. There is a red flag warning in effect just south of the fire that could result in dry thunderstorms in the area. There will be brush engines assigned as initial attack while on the line in case another fire starts in the area, which will bolster the local response. Some crews will be de-mobilized and return home tomorrow. The Whitman county side of the fire is the quietest, but still needs mop up efforts from the remaining crews. Some areas are in patrol status.Today, there were 2 aircraft working the fire. There will be less tomorrow, thanks to the progression of the mop up...

Kewa Fire Information NW 9 Incident Management Team, Brian Goff, Incident Commander August 5, 2016, 10am Start date: Aug. 2, 2016 Current Size: 1,859 acres Percent Containment: 25% With the NW9 incident management team, crews, and engines in place after a transition day, fire managers expect good progress on securing containment lines and mop up today. Yesterday’s summary: Moderate temperatures and light winds gave firefighters the opportunity to make progress in constructing lines with dozers and hand crews. A dozer line is complete along the east side of the fire, allowing mop up to begin today. Four FireBosses (small airtankers capable of scooping 800 gallons of water) helped prevent fire movement on the west line by assisting firefighters to construct dozer and hand line. There was little increase in fire activity overnight with relative humidity reaching 80%. Today’s plan: Weather will be hotter and drier with relative...

On Thursday morning, two fire managers flew over all four wilderness fires within the park to survey current conditions. Videos and photos from the flight are posted online: · Videos are available on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FBAug4Videos A Facebook account is not needed to watch these videos. · More photos are posted on Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/photographs/4906/Yesterday’s observations confirmed what fire managers expected to see after the cooler days. Fires are smoldering and creeping along the forest floor. Fire activity is minimal, though smoke is visible as small pockets of vegetation burn. Looking ahead: Fire analysts identified key conditions that could change fire behavior over the rest of the summer. > Increased fire activity can be expected on days when the temperature in the fire areas rises above 75 degrees and the relative humidity drops below 40 percent. o On those days, there will be more smoke visible, and the fires could grow from their...

SNAKE RIVER FIRE AUGUST 5, 2016 11:00AM News from the fire line: Yesterday, crews on the eastern end of the fire experienced active fire behavior, especially on the Garfield County side. At about 9:00am, a canyon heated up and made a run up to a standing wheat field. The fire jumped disk lines and began consuming the wheat field. Crews assigned to the fire with assistance from Garfield County Fire District 1 were able to stop the forward progress of the flames and established a containment line at nearly 500 additional acres. Fire crews are working night and day to establish and maintain fire line. Today they will concentrate line improvement efforts on the east edge of the fire, and proceed with mop up operations to the west. The fire is currently scouted at 11,000 acres and 30% contained. Additional firefighters continue to arrive to bolster this effort. Fire managers are building a strategy to protect values on all sides of the fire. This includes crops and rangeland in...