8/15/2015 Wildland Fire Update - Tonasket Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Fire Update Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Tonasket Ranger District

1 West Winesap • Tonasket, WA 98855 • 509-486-2186 • fs.usda.gov/okawen

CONTACT: Shannon O'Brien, Public Information, 509-429-9873

August 15, 2015 — 11:15 a.m.
For Immediate Release

Tonasket, WA — Crews are working on the many lightning caused fires on the Tonasket Ranger District.  Firefighters are doing everything possible with the resources at hand to fight the wildfires. The safety of both firefighters and the public is always the number one priority.

Firefighters have responded to four fires on the Tonasket Ranger District:

•   Mt. Phoebe Fire 11 miles northeast of Tonasket, near the Havillah Snopark, is contained at less than 1/4 acre.

•   Dunn Creek Fire located 5 miles northwest of Conconully, is less than 1/2 acre and is contained and controlled.

•   Lime Belt Fire (three lightning fires that moved together) is about 3 miles northeast of Conconully on lands managed by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management.   Three rapellers and a handcrew are assigned to the 800 acre fire.  It is burning in grass, sagebrush and small pockets of timber.  There is a level one evacuation for the Silver Hill and Scotch Creek areas.  Evacuation information is available on the Okanogan County Emergency Management Facebook page or by calling 509-422-7206.  Okanogan County Emergency Management also maintains a website at www.okanogandem.org.

•   Beaver Mountain Fire near Beaver Lake is 300 acres.  Initial Attack forces are scouting for safe and effective containment line locations.

Initial attack resources are poised to respond to new fire starts.

The North Star Fire, burning on lands managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation is spotting north on to the Tonasket Ranger District.  Information about the North Star Fire is available at (509) 634-3100.

To report a fire, please call 911.