InciWeb Articles WA

September 6, 2020  Olympic National Park Fire Information 360-565-2986  Mt. Lena Fire Shows Activity After Two Weeks of No Smoke                                        Reconnaissance flights conducted by Olympic Interagency Fire Management on September 4th and 5th revealed continued fire activity on the Mt. Lena Fire. The half-acre fire is located in extremely steep, inaccessible terrain approximately 0.5 miles east of Lena Lake in the southeast portion of the Olympic National Forest. The Mt. Lena Fire started on August 16 after a series of lightning strikes during high fire conditions caused numerous fires on the Olympic Peninsula. The use of rappelers and helicopter water drops during initial attack were unsuccessful in containing the fire. The Mt. Lena Fire is the only fire from that lightning event that is still showing signs of active burning.  Critical fire weather is expected for Western Washington from Monday through Wednesday. During that...

EVANS CANYON FIRE Evans Canyon Fire continues to burn about 8 miles north of Naches, Washington, and into Kittitas County. Results of an infrared flight estimate the fire to be 75,817 acres. Today will be sunny and warm, with temperatures in the mid-90s in the valleys with NW winds 10-15 mph, gusting to 25 mph. Tonight through Tuesday the fire area will experience increasing winds, shifting to the northeast and gusting to 35 mph.   Yesterday’s Operations: Fire crews made significant progress on the fire, increasing containment to 40%. As a result, most of the southern portion of the fire around N. Wenas Road is now secured. Fire behavior was minimal, consisting mostly of the consumption of internal unburned islands and brush and riparian vegetation along the Yakima River. Crews continued to work on extinguishing remaining hot spots, securing existing lines, and mopping up. Today’s Operations: Firefighters on the western and southwestern flank of the fire will continue to...

Pacific Northwest Team 12 will be holding a virtual community meeting on the Evans Canyon Fire hosted via Facebook Live on the Southeast Washington Interagency Management Team and the Yakima Valley Office of Emergency Management Facebook pages at 5 PM tomorrow, September 6th. Team 12 will share information on the current and predicted fire weather, fire behavior, and the operations plan.  The meeting content will be recorded and will be available on the Facebook page after the meeting. Facebook Live meeting link for 5 PM on September 6:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1447067615500833/

ACTUALIZACIÓN DEL INCENDIO EVANS CANYON EQUIPO DE GESTIÓN DE INCIDENTES 12 DEL NOROESTE Comandante del Incidente: Jeff Dimke 5 de septiembre de 2020   El Incendio Evans Canyon continúa ardiendo a unas 8 millas al norte de Naches, Washington, y hacia el condado de Kittitas. Los resultados de un vuelo infrarrojo calculan que el fuego mide 73.868 acres.   Operaciones de ayer: Las cuadrillas continuaron las operaciones de quema de carburantes en el cañón del río Yakima (Yakima River Canyon) y en el lado sur/suroeste del incendio. Las líneas de control se completaron hasta la cima de Cleman Mountain. La línea se mantuvo en su lugar en el extremo norte del incendio. Las cuadrillas continuaron fortaleciendo las líneas existentes y extinguiendo material combustible. Las operaciones de noche pudieron contener el fuego dentro de su área.   Operaciones para el día de hoy: Los buldóceres, las cuadrillas de mano y las cuadrillas de camiones continuarán construyendo líneas...

EVANS CANYON FIRE Evans Canyon Fire continues to burn about 8 miles north of Naches, Washington, and into Kittitas County. Results of an infrared flight estimate the fire to be 73,868 acres. Yesterday’s Operations: Crews continued burnout operations in the Yakima River canyon and the south/southwest side of the fire. Control lines were completed up to the top of Cleman Mountain. The line held on the north end of the fire. Crews continued to secure existing lines and mop-up. Night operations were able to keep the fire within the same footprint. Today’s Operations:  Dozers, hand crews and engine crews will continue constructing lines to limit fire spread. Burnout operations will continue today, until the line is secured along the southeast and southwest flanks of the fire. Structure protection within and adjacent to the fire area will continue. Crews will work on preventing the fire spreading across Yakima River and continue to hold and improve existing line and conduct mop-up...

NOTICE OF EMERGENCY CLOSURE ORDERYAKIMA RIVER CANYON CAMPGROUNDSAGENCY: Wenatchee Field Office, Spokane District, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.ACTION: Notice of Emergency Closure Order temporarily restricting camping, day use, and river access in Umtanum, Lmuma Creek, Roza and Big Pines Campgrounds, located in the Yakima River Canyon in central Washington.SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that due to the Evans Canyon Fire, an Emergency Closure Order that temporarily restricts access and use of the Umtanum, Lmuma Creek, Roza and Big Pines Campgrounds is now in effect for the BLM-managed public lands that make up this recreation area.DATES: This Closure Order will be in effect from September 2, 2020 – until further notice.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:BLM – Wenatchee Field Office 915 Walla Walla Ave.Wenatchee, WA 98801(509) 665-2100SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Emergency Closure Order affects public lands within the Yakima River Canyon Recreation Area. The...

Evans Canyon Fire burning in Yakima and Kittitas counties puts recreationists at risk, closure includes roughly 150,000 acres around Wenas Wildlife Area The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced the emergency closure of the Wenas Green Dot Road Management and part of the Oak Creek Green Dot Road Management areas in Yakima and Kittitas counties. The closure takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until further notice. The land closure was prompted by the Evans Canyon Fire burning in the area. The fire is now estimated at roughly 52,000 acres with wind and dry fuels on the ground creating a hazard for firefighters, residents, and visitors in the area. Most notably, wind events in the area have caused the fire to burn in unpredictable directions. “Our goal is to  ensure firefighters, who are trying their best to protect the communities, habitats, and natural resources impacted by the...

The Chikamin Fire is located in the Chikamin Ridge area 22 miles north of Leavenworth, Washington. This fire is burning in heavy timber in steep inaccessible terrain. Crews are utilizing natural features, existing roads and trails, and the footprints of past fire areas to contain the spread of the fire. Fire behavior has been minimal this week, mostly creeping and smoldering, with some interior burning and single-tree torching. Smoke production was low to moderate, with winds pushing the smoke between Entiat and Chelan Ranger Districts.  Hotter temperatures forecast for the upcoming Labor Day weekend may cause an increase in fire activity and additional smoke. To provide for public safety and firefighter safety on the Chikamin Fire the following road and trails are closed to public entry:  - FS Road #6210 (Chikamin Road)  - Lower Chiwawa Trail #1548- Chikamin Tie Trail #1534- Minnow Ridge Trail #1524- Basalt Ridge Trail #1515- Basalt Pass Trail #1530- Rock Creek Tie Trail...

Evans Canyon Fire continues to burn about 8 miles north of Naches, Washington, and into Kittitas County. Results of an infrared flight estimate the fire to be 69,920 acres. Yesterday’s Operations: The fire burned actively throughout the day, particularly to the north into Umtanum Creek and Ellensburg Pass, northeast into the Yakima River Canyon, and to the west/southwest to Cleman Mountain Ridge Road. Crews improved and mopped-up constructed control lines from the previous day’s operation. Direct dozer-line, handline and firing operations were conducted to protect private property, structures, grazing, timber and critical infrastructure. Today’s Operations: Dozers, hand crews and engine crews will continue direct perimeter control, constructing lines to stop fire spread from reaching the Kittitas Valley, Wenas Valley and Naches. Several strike teams of fire engines are assigned to provide structure protection within and adjacent to the fire area. Crews will continue working...

There will be a Virtual Community Meeting on the Evans Canyon Fire hosted via Facebook Live on the Southeast Washington Interagency Management Team Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sewaimt/ at 5 PM today, September 4. The Evans Canyon Fire is currently burning approximately 8 miles north of Naches.  Fire information from members of the Type 2 Incident Management Team will be shared, including weather, fire behavior, and operations.  The meeting content will be available, both live and recorded, the Facebook page without logging onto Facebook or having a Facebook account. The Virtual Community Meeting will also be recorded and will be available on the Facebook page after the live

Firefighters have been making progress on the Evans Canyon fire, and the fire is now 10% contained. Fire crews on the Evans Canyon Fire will begin a burnout operation this afternoon on the east side of Clemens Mountain. This burnout operation will remove remaining fuels between the wildfire and a dozer control line. This firing operation will be highly visible from many locations along the Old Naches Highway and beyond. The community should be aware that this is an intentional burning operation to starve the wildfire of flammable vegetation in this area.

Evans Canyon Fire UpdateNorthwest Incident Management Team 12, Incident Commander, Jeff DimkeSeptember 3, 2020Evans Canyon Fire is burning actively about 8 miles north of Naches in Yakima County, Washington, with the northeastern point stretching into Kittitas County. Results of an infrared flight conducted last night estimate the fire is approximately 52,000 acres. Today’s temperatures will be in the mid-80s to 93˚ F. Winds are predicted to be light at 7 to 10 mph, with ridgetop gusts of 20 to 25 mph. Yesterday’s Operations: Firefighters stopped the spread of the fire on the southeastern edge, near Longmire and Wenas Valley, tying into roads and securing it with dozer lines. Retardant and water drops were focused on the west side of the fire in the vicinity of Clemans Ridge. Dozer lines were constructed in the Umtanum Creek area. Crews continued working to establish control lines around the fire perimeter. Today’s Operations: Crews will continue mopping up around structures...

Press Release  Evans Canyon Fire  September 2, 2020 1:00 P.M.  Officials will hold a media conference at the “old” Naches Valley Primary School in Yakima County, Wash., at 2 p.m., to update media on the current conditions of the Evans Canyon Fire that started Monday 8 miles northeast of Naches. The conference site at 2700 old Naches Road is currently being used as the incident command center for firefighting efforts. Officials that will be on hand  include Yakima County Commissioner Vicki Baker, Selah Fire Department Chief Gary Hanna, Yakama Valley Emergency Management Operations (EMO) Manager Horace Ward and Northwest Incident Management Team 12 Incident Commanders Jeff Dimke and Bobby Shindelar   The conference will highlight ongoing firefighting efforts and plans for community healing following the loss of five primary residences to the fire – the greatest loss of property to fire in Yakima County in nearly five years, according to officials. “Today is the first day...

Evans Canyon Fire UpdateNorthwest Incident Management Team 12, Incident Commander, Jeff DimkeSeptember 2, 2020 Summary: Evans Canyon Fire is burning actively about 8 miles north of Naches in Yakima County, Washington. The fire is moving primarily southeast and northeast, and is driven by winds that are expected to continue until late this evening, challenging containment. Weather forecasts call for a warming and drying trend, with winds of 15 to 18 mph and 25- to 30-mph gusts. Temperatures will be 82 to 86 ˚F.Yesterday’s Operations: Crews spent most of the day providing protection around structures. Firefighters worked to secure spot fires which jumped containment lines on   the north and south sides of the fire. Reports indicate that primary residences and outbuildings were lost. Command was transferred to the regional Northwest Incident Management Team 12 at 8 p.m. Today’s Operations: Firefighting crews will continue to provide protection for communities and structures....

  THIS WILL BE THE LAST UPDATE The fire is completely lined and firefighters are now focusing on holding and improving their lines and eliminating any remaining heat within 200 feet of the fire's edge or within 300 feet of structures. Breezy conditions yesterday (Friday) afternoon did not create any problems, giving firefighters confidence their existing lines are adequate for containment. A significant wind event is expected later today, which could raise the chances of new starts in the area. There will also be a Red Flag warning from 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The public is urged to use extreme caution and to be vigilant as this will bring elevated fire danger to Eastern Washington. Some members of the public have expressed uncertainty as to whether sifting through ashes is safe or prudent. Agitating dry ash can throw tiny particles of burned material into the air, which are easily inhaled. Any burned material, even organic material like wood and plants, contains carcinogens that are...

 Level 2 Evacuations have been lifted.  Level 3 Evacuations remain in

  Fire behavior is minimal, and crews are continuing to mop up the fire, particularly around structures.  The current strategy is to hold and secure the fire for several days until mop-up is complete.  Smoke may be visible for some time as interior unburned pockets burn out. As is the case with any wildfire, the safety of the public and firefighters is the highest priority.  In order to keep firefighters and communities healthy and safe during the Palmer Fire, all fire personnel are expected to follow COVID-19 specific recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  This includes social distancing, using face masks and limiting public access to the Incident Command Post (ICP). Contingency plans are in place in case a firefighter or management team member show symptoms. All personnel have their temperatures checked once a day.  In addition, Okanogan County Emergency Management is offering free COVID testing to all fire personnel. Okanogan County Emergency...

 Palmer Fire FAQ 8/26/20 Q: How many structures were lost? How many primary residences and how many outbuildings?A: We don't have an updated number of structures lost or a breakdown of houses versus outbuildings as of right now.  The area is still being assessed for that. Q: Was there any animal mortality as a result of the Palmer Fire?A: There are some cattle that are still being accounted for, but no deaths have been reported as of Tuesday evening, August 25, 2020.  Wildlife losses are not typically tracked during a wildfire unless they occur in large groupings. Q: How and where did the fire start?A: The cause of the Palmer Fire is unknown.  The fire investigation is being done by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  When they release their findings, that information will be shared.Q: Is this area declared a disaster area by the state?A: The Palmer Fire itself has not been declared a disaster area.  Governor...

Fire behavior has decreased significantly, and crews are now engaged in mop-up and enlarging safety circles around structures in the burn area.  Some resources are being released from the incident to support other wildfires as objectives are met.  The current strategy is to hold and secure the fire, as no significant growth or movement is expected.   A live virtual public meeting was held last evening on the Okanogan County Emergency Management Facebook page. The meeting allowed various members of the Incident Management Team and cooperating agencies to present the latest information about the fire and affected areas.  You can view a recording of the meeting on the department's Facebook page listed below. Okanogan County Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Department are coordinating with fire personnel regularly to assess the status of evacuation levels. All road closures remain in place. Level 3 Evacuations - GO (leave immediately)- From the intersection of Alemandi Rd...

Yesterday, a cold front blew over the fire area bringing gusty winds that tested fire lines. Luckily, all contingency lines held strong and the fire didn’t exhibit any major growth. Now, the focus will shift from suppression to improving existing contingency line and mopping up hot spots. Firefighters will also work to secure a no-heat radius of 300 feet around structures in the fire area. No future burn-out operations are anticipated if conditions remain the same. Decreased acres are due to improved mapping of the fire perimeter.  A virtual public meeting will be held tonight at 6:00-6:45 PM on the Okanogan County Emergency Management Facebook live. The meeting will include short presentations from the Incident Management Team and the opportunity to ask questions. Questions can be submitted in advance to 2020.palmer@firenet.gov.  Okanogan County Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Department are coordinating with fire personnel regularly to assess the status of evacuation...