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Western Washington Incident Management Team 3 Incident Commander: Ty Crowe Estimated size: 12,625 acres  Cause: Human; Under investigation  Containment: 36 percent Resources: 158 personnel – One type-2 initial attack hand crew, two hand crews one dozer, two water tenders and 70 overhead.US 2 Is Open: At this time, US 2 is open throughout the fire area. However, periodic flare-ups, material rolling near the road, or hazardous trees on or along the road may force temporary short closures or reroutes. A planned closure will occur Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 10 am to 6 pm for hazard tree removal. The specific area for this closure will be provided in tomorrow’s update. Crews are still working throughout the area so please drive at the posted reduced speeds through the fire area.Fire Update: Monday saw very little intense fire behavior despite unseasonably warm and dry conditions over the fire area. These weather conditions are likely to persist for the next few days and may...

Highlights: There was increased fire activity yesterday, but the fire remains within control lines. Firefighters expected this change, as the hotter and drier days have dried out the fuels. There is more smoke coming from the Coal Creek drainage, which may continue for the next few days given the weather forecast. The Rogue River Hotshots and the Northwest Regulars Crew (Central Oregon) are using direct fireline tactics in that area, receiving additional suppression support from engines, a dozer and aerial bucket work. The dozer aims to finish the control line south of Coal Creek today. The fire also continues to emit increased smoke near Bluff Lake. Skies will remain smoky until the inversion layer lifts this afternoon. Firefighters continue to prioritize establishing control lines, patrolling communities, and refining structure preparation. Crews are testing and adjusting hose lays around private structures. A structure protection specialist arrives today, further augmenting those...

Kalama Fire Update – October 4, 2022 Overview: The Kalama Fire, located southwest of Mount St. Helens near the town of Cougar, WA, is approximately 443 acres in size and currently five percent contained.  Containment lines have been completed.  With the inability to safely mop up the fire’s edge, due to steep terrain and overhead hazards, containment percentages will remain low.Fire Behavior: Fire is slowly creeping to the southern dozer line where the completed line is holding it.  Overall fire behavior is low intensity creeping and backing.  Potential for large plume dominated fire growth is low.  Weather:  A marine push last night brought slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidity over the fire.  Today’s maximum temperature is predicted to be around 72 degrees with minimum humidity 44-46 percent.  An upper ridge will continue the trend for slightly warmer than normal temperatures this week while keeping winds mainly light and terrain driven.Closures: A...

A high-pressure system over the Goat Rocks Fire vicinity is expected to last through the week. The system is bringing unseasonably warm and dry weather. High temperatures are forecast near 80 degrees with relative humidity falling below 30% on most days. The system will continue to dry out the forest, making fuels more likely to burn. No rain is forecasted in the short-term. Lighter winds and shorter days will help reduce risks associated with the drying trend. Winds today are expected to be light, without a return to the gusty winds that hit the fire Saturday. Windy weather circulates the warm, dry air, drawing moisture out of vegetation. Calmer weather dries fuels more slowly.A lack of wind allows an inversion to last later into the day. While this stationary air can be unpleasantly smoky and hazardous to some people, it suppresses fire activity by restricting air flow to the fire. An inversion can also provide smoke shading, where smoke in the air blocks sunlight, lowering...

A fire was reported on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in the Siouxon drainage on September 22, 2022, at around 6:30pm. Fire resources were dispatched to a site above the reported fire location and did not see or smell smoke. It was dark and an inversion had set in. On Friday, September 23, Gifford Pinchot National Forest Fire Engine 631 responded to the reported fire and at 7:20 am found the Siouxon Fire burning in steep terrain within the 2020 Big Hollow Fire burn scar. That day firefighters took early and extensive action to suppress the fire. Helicopters and single engine air tankers worked the fire for 5-6 hours. As the fire size increased a Type 3 Incident Command Team was ordered. Despite early suppression efforts the fire grew to 30 acres that day. To protect the public a closure area in the vicinity of the fire was established, and hikers and other forest users were evacuated from the closure area. The Siouxon Fire continues to burn in steep, remote terrain in an...

Kalama Fire Update – October 3, 2022 Overview: The Kalama Fire, located southwest of Mount St. Helens near the town of Cougar, WA, is 443 acres in size and currently five percent contained. Containment lines have been completed.  With the inability to safely mop up the edge, due to steep terrain and overhead hazards, containment percentages will remain low.Fire Behavior: As the moisture from last week’s rain event continues to dry, firefighters are expected to see a little more fire activity.  On the south flank of the fire there is low to moderate fire spread, with backing towards the dozer line on the south.  Fire behavior on the west flank is similar with low-speed creeping to the west.  Fire is slowly backing and following contour lines toward the north and east with minor uphill spread.  The potential for fire growth remains. Weather: A warm, dry airmass is expected over the fire area through Monday night, keeping humidity low.  Winds will be mainly terrain driven. ...

Currently the Siouxon fire is 306 acres in size and burning primarily in the Siouxon Creek drainage in the southwest corner of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The fire is burning in a remote hard to reach area which was previously impacted by the 2020 Big Hollow Fire. The Siouxon Fire is surrounded to the west, north and east by burn scars from the Big Hollow Fire. It is anticipated that the burn scars, especially where there was high severity burn, will slow the fire’s spread. Fire personnel are actively assessing the situation and taking steps to manage the fire and provide for public safety.https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/giffordpinchot/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1063226 Fire behavior: Another shift of unseasonably warm and dry conditions gave the Siouxon fire the ability for overnight fire growth and moderate daytime fire activity. At approximately 12:15 today the fire experienced a complete wind change from consistent winds out of the east, to gusty winds out of the west...

Western Washington Incident Management Team 3 Incident Commander: Ty Crowe Estimated size: 12,486 acres      Cause: Human; Under investigation Containment: 36 percent  Resources: 151 personnel – One type-2 initial attack hand crews, two hand crews, 15 engines, one dozer, two water tenders and 78 overhead.   US 2 Is Open: At this time, US 2 is open throughout the fire area.  However, periodic flare-ups or material rolling near the road may – for public safety considerations – force temporary short closures or reroutes.  Additionally, crews are still working throughout the area so please drive at the posted reduced speeds through the fire area.   Fire Update: Warmer and drier conditions continued yesterday and contributed to elevated fire behavior, again primarily in the area north of Eagle Rock. Containment lines elsewhere on the fire—namely, along US 2 and near structures—continue to hold well as the consumption strategy is allowed to continue. While...

With temperatures being approximately 10 degrees warmer than average this coming week, fire season is still carrying on into October. Fire crews are actively engaged in suppressing the White River/Irving Peak fire. Containing spot fires outside of containment lines remains a top priority on the incident. Firefighters are locating and containing spot fires promptly and utilizing helicopters for water drops as necessary. Firefighters have also installed sprinkler systems around structures as a means to protect them from the fire by preventing any embers from establishing spot fires. Additionally, firefighters will be conducting a firing operation today and tomorrow along the 311 and 6502 roads to reinforce containment lines. This will prevent the unwanted spread of the fire to the west and south. New resources, including an Interagency Hotshot Crew, are arriving to replace those that have reached the end of their 14-day assignment. People can expect to see increased smoke which will...

Warmer temperatures and gusty east winds caused increased fire activity on the Goat Rocks Fire yesterday. Greater amounts of smoke were visible as the day progressed, winds picked up, and fuels grew drier. The fire stayed on the ground, creeping through surface fuels which still held some moisture from showers and high humidity earlier this week. No torching or rapid growth was seen.Much of Saturday’s activity was east of Forest Road 4612, where fire has been spreading within containment lines for several days. The fire also grew in the upper Coal Creek drainage. A heavy helicopter dropped water on some hot areas before gusty winds made conditions too hazardous for flying.Today is forecast to be a few degrees warmer and slightly drier than yesterday, but with less wind. This dry spell is expected to last for several more days, with high temperatures in the upper 70s and relative humidity dropping below 30%. Fuels will become more receptive to fire each day, and further increases in...

Kalama Fire Update – October 2, 2022Overview: The Kalama Fire, located southwest of Mount St. Helens near the town of Cougar, WA, is 443 acres in size and currently five percent contained. Cooler weather and rain last week assisted firefighting efforts. The fire remains within containment lines.  With the inability to safely mop up the edge, due to steep terrain and overhead hazards, containment percentages will remain low.Fire Behavior: On the south flank of the fire there is low to moderate fire spread, with backing towards the dozer line on the south.  Fire behavior on the west flank is similar with low-speed creeping to the west.  Fire is slowly backing and following contour lines toward the north and east with minor uphill spread.  The potential for fire growth remains and containment lines are being put in place. Weather: An upper ridge moving into the area is bringing a warming and drying trend through the weekend.  While today’s temperatures will continue to be...

Bolt Creek Fire Update October 2, 2022 Western Washington Incident Management Team 3Incident Commander: Kent StanfordContainment: 28 percent         Estimated size: 12,142 acres          Cause: Under investigationResources: 152 personnel – One type-2 initial attack hand crews, two hand crews engines, one dozer, two water tenders and 79 overhead.US 2 Is Open: US 2 is now open from mile marker 46-49. Crews are still working in the area so please drive at the posted reduced speeds through the fire area.Fire Update: Warmer and drier conditions than previous days contributed to elevated fire behavior on Saturday, primarily in the area north of Eagle Rock. Containment lines elsewhere on the fire—namely, along US 2 and near structures—continue to hold well. While the fire will continue to produce smoke as it burns to the north into Wild Sky Wilderness, firefighters remain engaged along containment lines to ensure that the fire stays in its footprint on its southern edge,...

Kalama Fire Update – October 1, 2022  Overview: The Kalama Fire, located southeast of Kalama Horse Camp on the south side of Mount St. Helens, is approximately 435 acres in size and is currently five percent contained. Cooler weather and rain over the fire area the past few days has assisted in the firefighting efforts.  The fire remains within containment lines.  Fire Behavior: On the south flank of the fire there is low to moderate spread, with backing towards the dozer line.  Fire behavior on the west flank is similar with low-speed creeping to the west.  Fire is slowly backing and following contour lines toward the north and east with minor uphill spread.  The potential for fire growth remains and containment lines are being put in place. Weather: An upper ridge moving into the area will bring a warming and drying trend through the weekend.  Today’s weather is expected to bring east winds and dry air with a 50-60% chance of gusts reaching or exceeding 20mph in the...

The Goat Rocks Fire was generally quiet yesterday, still affected by showers and high humidity earlier this week. As the inversion lifted and temperatures rose, the fire became more active and began to creep through fuels. Most spread was on slopes southeast of Forest Road 4612 and in upper Coal Creek drainage. Yesterday, firefighters completed the hazard tree cutting along Forest Road 4612 and continued to chip woody debris along Forest Road 46. One of the “heavy” helicopters dropped water on residual heat in Coal Creek drainage toward US 12. The Rogue River Interagency Hotshot Crew evaluated historic structures at Packwood Lake for protection needs. Today will be the start of a warming and drying trend with winds generally from the east. High temperatures are expected to be near 80 degrees with relative humidity dropping to 35%. These conditions will favor an increase in fire activity. The dry weather is expected to last into next week.Today, winds are forecast up to 20 mph on...

Western Washington Incident Management Team 3 Incident Commander: Kent Stanford Estimated size: 12,070 acres      Cause: Human  Resources: 149 personnel – Two type-2 initial attack hand crews, two hand crews, one helicopter, 15 engines, one dozer, one water tender and 66 overhead.  US 2 Has Reopened: US 2 has reopened from mile marker 46-49. Crews are still working in the area so please drive at the posted reduced speeds through the fire area.  Fire Update: The fire continues to burn up to containment lines on the south, east and west edges, which has minimized fire behavior in priority areas that have concentrated values at risk (homes, structures, campgrounds, road systems etc). Today, firefighters will continue to monitor these containment lines while reinforcing them as necessary; mop up, chipping and hazard tree mitigation continues in many of these areas as well. Evacuations have also been lifted in all previously-impacted areas as of 8 a.m. this morning....

Cool temperatures and light precipitation had a calming affect on the Goat Rocks Fire yesterday. Although most precipitation didn’t make it past the tree canopies, higher humidity was absorbed into finer fuels like brush and small sticks. Large logs and stumps continued to burn, but with less intensity. The fire produced less smoke and did not spread.  Today, fire activity will continue to be moderated by residual moisture in the air and in fuels. Temperatures are expected to rise into the 70s, with clearing skies. Warmer, drier air will start to move into the area again tomorrow, with winds from the east developing. High temperatures are expected to be around 80 degrees Monday and Tuesday.  Ahead of this warm, dry weather, fire personnel are working to secure indirect containment lines. Most of these lines are being developed along existing roads where there is already a break in the fuels: the road. The objective is to remove enough trees and brush along lines that fire will...

BAER Team Begins Post-Fire Assessment of Bolt Creek Fire near Skykomish, and Boulder Lake, Lake Toketie and Suiattle River Fires near DarringtonA Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been established by the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBSNF) to begin post-fire burned area assessments of the Bolt Creek Fire and other wildfires near Darrington that have recently burned on Forest Service federal lands, and private lands. The BAER team leader is Joe Blanchard, Forest Service Watershed Program Manager. Forest Service BAER team assessments typically take approximately two weeks to complete. BAER teams coordinate with tribal nations, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), National Weather Service (NWS), US Geological Survey (USGS), and other federal, state, and local agencies as they assess potential post-fire impacts to the burned watersheds. BAER surveys are rapid assessments that evaluate the burned area to identify watersheds having...

  Kalama Fire Update – Sept. 30, 2022Overview: The Kalama Fire, located southeast of Kalama Horse Camp on the south side of Mount St. Helens, is at approximately 435 acres in size and is currently five percent contained. Acres increased only slightly with burn out operations to assist in securing the perimeter of the fire. Cooler weather and rain over the fire area these past few days has assisted in the firefighting efforts.   Fire Behavior: The fire was located on a cliff and is now burning on extremely steep ground. Fire fighters are preparing indirect lines in more favorable terrain where they can be successful. Fire behavior has been smoldering and creeping with some torching observed. The potential for fire growth remains and containment lines are being put in place. Weather: Weather today is predicted to be drier and warmer then the past few days. A surface thermal trough will push up from the south, creating northerly flow with warmer and drier weather. Tonight, the...