8/12/2018 Crescent Mountain Fire Update

CRESCENT MOUNTAIN FIRE Level 2 Evacuations

Crescent Mountain Fire August 12, 2018 @ 8:00 a.m. Crescent Mountain Fire: 15,975 acres; 12% contained McLeod Fire: Approximately 1,000+ acres; 0% contained Personnel: 594 Point of Origin: Approximately 21 miles west of the town of Twisp Start Date: July 29, 2018  Cause: Lightning               Current Activity: Despite windy conditions, the Crescent Mountain Fire did not grow significantlyon Saturday. No infrared flight occurred last night, so the documented acreage remains the same.The southern fire edge remains approximately 1.7 miles from the closest structure in the Twisp River drainage and 13 miles from the town of Twisp. Yesterday, crews constructed direct dozer line along the fire edge in Poplar Flat and will connect to Slate Creek Trail with handline. Snagging, the removal of dead/hazard trees, will occur today along Buttermilk Road and in other locations along the fire perimeter. Line construction along Scaffold Ridge will also continue. Weather conditions have moderated, with relative humidity this morning much higher than in the last several days. Clear air today will allow aircraft to provide support for ground operations. New Fire Starts: Due to lightning, the Methow Valley Ranger District has at least 20 new fires. The Southern Area Red Team will assume command of the McLeod Fire and possibly others. The McLeod Fire is located between Sweetgrass Butte and McLeod Mountain about 5 miles north of Mazama. Evacuations: A Level 2 evacuation is in effect for the entire area of Twisp River Road up drainage from Little Bridge Creek Road. Level 2 means prepare now to go immediately in the event that the evacuation level is elevated to a Level 3. With predicted weather, the fire is expected to continue to move eastward and could result in an elevation to a Level 3 for upper Twisp River residents dependent upon fire behavior and movement. Level 3 means leave the area immediately.  Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has issued a closure order for the fire area. Specific trail, road, and area closures, and a closure map for the fire, can be found athttps://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/maps/6093/. A temporary flight restriction is in place over the fire area. For details, see http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_8_6341.html For information on road closures, call 511 or go to: https://www.wsdot.com/traffic/trafficalerts/default.aspx.   Smoke: Numerous fires in the area will continue to generate heavy smoke. For more information on smoke and public health, please visit: wasmoke.blogspot.com, https://www.purpleair.com/, andhttps://www.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/. For smoke information in Spanish visit: https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/AirQuality/SmokeFromFires/HumodeIncendios Despite the smoke, the towns of Twisp and Winthrop remain open for business and recreational opportunities.   Fire Information: Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6093/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrescentMTNFire/ Fire Information Center: (480) 744-9318         Email: gilbertfireinfo2018@gmail.com