8/13/2014 Little Bridge Creek Fire Update

Rain fell over the Little Bridge Creek, Upper Falls and Carlton Complex fires last night. Scattered thunderstorms, along with possible gusty erratic winds and heavy rainfall, are predicted through Thursday.

The rain has brought cooler temperatures that will moderate fire behavior for a few days until it begins to warm up and dry out this weekend. Approximately 70 area residents attended a community meeting in Twisp last night. Incident Commander (IC) Beth Lund and members of her staff provided an update on the status of the fires and answered questions from concerned citizens.

“We are here to build off the successes of the previous teams. We look forward to serving the community,” said IC Lund.

The Little Bridge Creek Fire is 14% contained. The fire, likely caused by lightning, started August 2, on National Forest lands, 10 miles west of Winthrop. Infrared data shows the fire is approximately 4,129 acres. It is located between Canyon Creek and Little Bridge Creek. Rain and cooler weather will help buy firefighters time to contain a small area of fire that has crossed over Thompson Ridge on the north end of the fire. The objective is to keep fire south of Thompson Ridge, out of the Wolf Creek drainage.

Structural firefighters continue to assess and prepare for structural protection efforts, should they be needed.

The Upper Falls Fire, located 17 miles north of Winthrop, is 8,047 acres. Last night’s rain will help firefighters gain ground on a challenging area on the southwest side of the fire. The fire is backing down toward Eight Mile Road. Firefighters are continuing to hold the fire along the southern portion of Falls Creek Road and they are improving indirect lines south of Alex Creek. Specialized equipment has been brought in to mitigate many standing dead trees in this area that pose a hazard to our fire crews. The fire is moving gradually north toward the Pasaytan Wilderness and east toward the Farewell and Tripod fire scars. Firefighters are patrolling the fire perimeter at night to watch for hot spots that may flare up. There are 173 personnel assigned to the fire.

The 256,108-acre Carlton Fire will continue to smoke and flare in the interior. Suppression repair work is ongoing, which includes: chipping vegetation along roads, installing water bars to minimize erosion, and covering hand and dozer lines. Firefighters are also patrolling the fire perimeter at night looking for hot spots.