Incident Summary: The Blue Creek Fire, located ten miles east of Walla Walla, started on Monday, July 20 around 12:30 PM. The fire was human-caused
and is under investigation. The fire is burning
in grass, brush and timber on state-protected
private land. The fire remains
at 6,004 acres.
FireWise Message:
Firefighters are trained to
safely and efficiently suppress wildland
fires, but their effectiveness is
reduced when they must sweep decks, move wood
piles and patio furniture while
trying
to
fight a fire. Here are some things that
you can do to help: prune
low
hanging limbs to reduce
ladder fuels, clean roofs and gutters of pine needles and
dead leaves, keep flammable
plants and mulches at
least 5 feet away from your home’s perimeter,
use low-growing, well pruned
and fire-resistant plants
around home, screen
or box-in
areas below patios and
decks with
wire screening no larger than
1/8-inch
mesh,
sweep
decks and porches clear of fallen leaves, move woodpiles away from the home during non-
winter months, bring doormats and furniture cushions inside when an area is threatened by wildfire. For
Current Situation: Fuel continues to burn in the interior and smoke
will
continue
to be
visible. Motorists in
the area are asked to drive cautiously and watch for firefighters and
apparatus both day and night.
Forces
are slowly being released as conditions improve. Three
helicopters are available as needed;
all others have
been released to assist
other incidents.
Planned Actions
Today:
Firefighters continue to strengthen firelines, mop up hot spots
and complete rehabilitation activities. Efforts
continue to focus on solidifying firelines along
the
Mill Creek Watershed
boundary and the fuel break that has been constructed.
Weather Outlook: High pressure
will continue to build, bringing increasingly warmer and drier
conditions
through the end of
the week with poor overnight humidity recovery. However, winds will
generally be
light. Monsoonal moisture will
eventually return, leading to
a slight
chance of thunderstorms by next
Tuesday.
Maximum temperatures
today will
be 90 degrees
in valleys, 85 degrees on ridgetops.
Evacuation Information: Blue Creek Road,
Klicker Mountain Road
and
Blacksnake
Ridge Road were
lowered to Level 1, meaning residents can return with caution.
Closures: Blue Creek Road and Klicker Mountain
Road continue
to be closed. Traffic control points
remain at 5 Points and at
Blue Creek Road. Only local traffic will be allowed
past the traffic control point.
Cooperating Agencies: Department of Natural
Resources Southeast Region, Walla Walla County Fire District 4, Washington State Patrol, Washington State Fire Marshal, Walla Walla
Emergency Management Department, Walla Walla County Sheriff, Columbia County EMD, USDA Forest Service
Umatilla National Forest
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