9/15/2018 Iron East Fire Update

Iron East Fire Update Fire crews are continuing containment operations

Iron East Fire: 124 acres; 65% containment Location: 12 miles northeast of Cle Elum, WA Start Date: September 7, 2018 Cause: Lightning   Current Activity: Total acreage for the Iron East Fire is approximately 124 acres. The fire is 65% contained. There are about 300 personnel on the fire. Drawdown of resources is underway as fire severity decreases. Ensuring public safety and the safety of firefighters is the utmost priority. Old Blewett Pass is closed for fire activity. We thank the public and recreationalists for their cooperation in avoiding the area.   The fire perimeter is fully lined. Burning operations were successfully completed on Friday. Mop up is occurring in several areas of the fire. Hot spots and smoke will be present in the interior until heavy rain or snow. Firefighters are “cold trailing” the fire line, searching for any hot spots in the perimeter. If a hot spot is identified, firefighters will dig down to the spot, bring it up to the surface, douse it with water and use other methods to extinguish all heat. To assist in minimizing erosion, water bars will be constructed to divert water runoff on hand and dozer lines. These water bars are constructed at an angle to the roadway to assist in diverting water across the roadway. This team will be transferring command of the fire early next week to the local unit. More information on this fire can be found on https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6195/ Evacuations: None.   Closures: Closures are in place for trails in the area including the West Iron and Iron Bear Trails. Road closures include Forest Service Roads 9714 and 9715/7320. Highway 97 remains closed until Friday morning to allow the installation of culverts. Old Blewett Pass is closed due to fire activity, we thank the public and recreationalists for their cooperation in avoiding the area. Maps and information on the closure will be available on Inciweb.   Smoke/Weather: Weather is expected to be cooler and more moist for the next four days. The maximum temperatures will be in the mid-50s. The Washington Smoke Information’s webpage has information on smoke and public health. Smoke information in Spanish can be found on the WA Dept. of Health’s website. Fire Information: Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6195 Email: IronEastFireInfo2018@gmail.com Phone: (509) 416-6169 #WaWildfire #IronEastFire These fires are being managed by the Southeast Washington Incident Management Team, Type 3

Photo: Crews burned out fuels between the control lines and the fire. Iron East Fire located 12 miles northeast of Cle Elum, WA on Tuesday September 11, 2018. Credit: USDA Forest Service