7/24/2014 AM Lone Mountain 1 Fire Update

 Thursday, July 24, 2014   

Contact:  Information Desk in Winthrop: 509-996-3624

Public Information Officers: Glenda Scott (406-540-3091) and Kim Smolt (406-274-0242) in Winthrop, and Peri Suenram in Stehekin (contact Wilderness Information Center 509-699-2080, ext.11).

Please be patient and use all of our lines as we have inconsistent phone coverage.

Cause:  Lightning, July 14, 2014

Location: Boulder Creek drainage, northeast of Stehekin and west of Butte Creek, in the Stephen Mather Wilderness

Jurisdiction:  North Cascades National Park Complex, National Park Service  

Size:  1700 acres

Command:  N. Rockies Wildland Fire Management Team, Diane Hutton, Incident Commander

Strategy: Point protection and modified suppression    

Nearly a half inch of rain fell over the fire on Wednesday.  Cool temperatures and high humidity have kept fire growth minimal.  Rainfall over the next few days will reduce burning conditions but fire activity is expected to rebound when the warming trend returns over the weekend.

Crews will continue fuel reduction work and strengthening contingency lines around the Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin and the community.  Near the Rainbow Trail, firefighters will scout for opportune locations to construct contingency lines.  If weather permits, firefighters will be shuttled by helicopter to War Creek Pass to assess the potential for direct suppression opportunities.

 

The management team, in conjunction with both the North Cascades National Park and the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest, are continuing preparation of a long-term plan.  This is a strategic approach for the long-term management of the Lone Mountain 1 Fire.

The Stehekin village is open for park visitors and Rainbow Falls remains accessible, as does the lakeshore trail.  For public safety, the North Cascades National Park superintendent has closed the Boulder Creek Trail in the Stephen Mather Wilderness.  The Forest Supervisor of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has issued an area closure for public safety on National Forest Lands east of the fire area.  The trails along Chelan Lake remain open; however, area closures are in effect above the trails.  The full closure order is posted on inciweb for the Lone Mountain 1 Fire.

For the latest fire information go to: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3538/ and https://www.facebook.com/loanmountain1fire

Please email Lonemountainfire@gmail.com to receive this information electronically.

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