9/06/2015 Cougar Creek Fire Update

Yesterday firefighters made significant progress on the Cougar Creek fire. Cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity and resource prioritization aided in significant production. Today firefighters will continue mopping up and improving the strength of existing containment lines. Whenever possible crews will use natural barriers and improve existing roads and dozer lines to minimize disturbing soil and vegetation.

Temperatures remain 5 to 10° below normal for this time of year. Todays wind speeds will be slightly lower compared to yesterday with ridge top winds 6-12mph gusting to 20 mph out of the North West, with a high temperature of 62°. Mondays forecast will feature relatively warmer and drier conditions behind the trough.

Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) teams have arrived to assess the needs of these fires. BAER team surveys are a rapid assessment of the burned areas that evaluate burned watersheds and determine the potential for increased post-fire flood sediment flows and rock slides.

Suppression repair is the first phase of recovery efforts to return the affected area to pre-fire conditions. Controlling erosion and run-off from fire suppression containment lines are high priorities for the Forest Service to ensure healthy watersheds. Fire crews construct rolling dips and dirt water bars along hand and dozer lines to divert water off the containment lines and minimize surface and gully erosion. Crews also remove berms on dozer lines, scatter cut brush on hand and dozer lines, and repair roads used during the suppression of the fire to return those areas to a stable functioning condition to minimize water and soil erosion run-off.

The fire is currently being managed by a Type II incident management team, Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 3, Mike Wakoski Incident Commander.

CLOSURES for the safety of firefighters and the public: DNR - All DNR State Trust lands and recreation sites within the Glenwood Block are closed. Yakama Nation – All forest resource lands are closed to the public, including tribal members. USFS – The Pacific Crest Trail through the Mt Adams Wilderness, the Mt. Adams Wilderness in its entirety, and all trails on the south and east sides of Mt. Adams are closed between Forest Road 23 at Williams Mine to the eastern boundary of the Forest. Forest Roads 80 & 82 are also closed.

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4484/

Information Office Phone: (509)364-3369 Email: cougarcreekfireinfo@gmail.com