8/6/16 Kewa Fire Update

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 managers chose to put in a dozer line along ridges and are planning a burnout to decrease fuels between the active fire and containment lines.

·        If weather and fire conditions are favorable in the next couple of days, firefighters will start the burnout near ridgetops to take advantage of early evening down-slope winds.

Friday’s actions

·        Firefighters identified helispots for use in potential emergencies. 

·        Crews continued mop up on the east side of the fire, and put in hose and continued putting in handline on the west side.

·        Four FireBosses (water scooping aircraft) and three helicopters with buckets helped prevent fire movement on the west line.

Evacuations and Closures

·        Due to reduced risks from the fire, Level 3 evacuations have been reduced to Level 2.

·        Kewa-Meteor Road is closed between Twin Lakes-Nez Perce Road to Silver Creek Road

·        Kewa Road is closed between Kewa-Meteor Road to Silver Creek Road

Incident objectives:  Provide for safety of firefighters and the public, minimize acres burned, protect natural resources, keep communities and interested parties informed of fire and fire management actions, coordinate with emergency managers and cooperators, and track suppression actions.