Tuesday, August 22, 2017

08/22/2017 Jolly Mountain Fire Update

Jolly Mountain Fire Activity Increases
Tuesday, August 22, 2017, 10:00 a.m.
Location: Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA
Start Date: August 11, 2017   Cause: Lightning   Size: 916 Acres   Percent Contained:  0%
Vegetation: Timber between rock stringers and ridge tops
Resources Assigned: 301 personnel
Incident Commander: Alan Sinclair with the Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 3
 
Summary:
The Jolly Mountain Fire was more active yesterday than it has been the past few days.  The higher temperature and lower relative humidity pattern will continue into the coming days. On Thursday, predictions call for lower temperatures then rising again for the remainder of the week into the following week. The up canyon winds enabled  the fire to make short uphill runs above the West Fork Teanaway River. Most of the acreage increase was along the northwest edge of the fire. 
 
“We recognize the smoke has become more visible as it moved into an area with excessive amounts of large diameter dead and down fuel. We have expected this and are moving forward with our current plan” stated Incident Commander Alan Sinclair.
 
Smoke continues to be visible, with most smoke heading north as light southerly winds move over the area.   
 
Construction of indirect fire control lines continues along the southwest and southeast side of the fire.  Work with the masticators, chippers, feller bunchers and hand crews is nearing completion.  Dozers are being utilized to finish prepping and connecting roads between Middle and West Fork Teanaway just below Spring Creek. 
 
Weather:
Conditions will be slightly warmer and drier today as a high pressure sets up over the area.  Light southerly winds 3-6 mile per hour with gusts to 15 miles per hour are expected.  Maximum temperatures will be in the upper 70’s to low 80’s with a minimum relative humidity in the 20% range.
 
Closures:
Roads: Forest Roads 4315, 4330-240, 4330-137, 4330-138, 4330-128, 4330-139, 4330-140, 4305 beginning at the western edge of T21N R14E Sec. 24
Trails: Teanaway drainage trails include; Boulder Deroux (#1392), DeRoux Spur (#1392.1), Johnson Medra (#1383), Way Creek (#1235), Jungle Creek (#1383.1), West Fork (#1353), Middle Fork (#1393) and Yellow Hill (#1222). In the Cle Elum Valley they are: Corral Creek (#1340.1), Sasse Mtn. (#1340), Howson Creek (#1349), Jolly Mtn. (#1307, access from Cayuse CG), Paris Creek (#1393) and Boulder Creek (#1392), Little Sac (#1325).
 
For further information on road and trail closures contact the Cle Elum Ranger District at 509-852-1100.
 
For more information on Firewise go to www.firewise.org.                

Fire Restrictions:  All campfires are banned on Cle Elum Ranger District.
 
Jolly Mountain Fire Information: (505) 303-0057 (Phones staffed 8:00 am to 8:00 pm)
 

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