Morning Brief

Date/Time Stamp: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 - 0700 hrs.

Activity Summary
In the Northwest:

Scattered precipitation across the geographic area with around a dozen lightning strikes. Light IA activity with minimal growth on existing large fires. National Preparedness Level to 3 effective 9/15 at 1100 hours.

Preparedness Levels

Current:

Northwest	3 (no change)
National	3 (9/15/2015)

Northwest PL Forecast:

3	2	1
3-day	10-day	30-day

Northwest Fire Activity

Large Fire Summary

New large fires: 0

Large fires contained: 1

Uncontained large fires: 16 (OR: 5, WA: 11)

New Fires and Acres: 4 fires for 2 acres
(9,095 acres growth on existing large fires)
OR: 2 fires for 0 acres
WA: 2 fires for 2 acres

Northwest IMT Activity

NIMOs committed: 0
Type 1 IMTs committed: 2
Type 2 IMTs committed: 5

National Fire Activity

Initial attack activity: Light (68 new fires)
New large incidents: 3
Large fires contained: 5
Uncontained large fires: 42

National IMT Activity

Area Command Teams committed: 0
NIMOs committed: 0
Type 1 IMTs committed: 8
Type 2 IMTs committed: 8

Current Incident Details

Incidents not Previously-Reported: 0

Incidents Previously-Reported: 17

Dry Gulch OR-972S-001159. IMT1. ODF Team 3 (Smith). 7 miles NW of Richland, OR. Start 9/12. Full Suppression. Brush and timber. Cause: Unknown. 18,272 acres. (+736). 55% containment. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Communities, high tension powerlines, cell towers and grazing land threatened. Evacuations in effect. FMAG approved (9/14). Conflagration Act invoked (9/14). OSFM Green Team (Kunze) released 9/15.

North Star WA-COA-000157. IMT1. CA Team 1 (McGowan). 5 miles E of Omak, WA. Start 8/13. Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Human. 217,558 acres. (+2,152). 58 containment. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Evacuation notices in effect. Road and area closures in effect. Fire Mobilization authorized (8/19). CA Team 1 (McGowan) managing Tunk Block and North Star.

Okanogan Complex (2 fires) WA-NES-001203. IMT2. WA Team 5 (Leitch). 13 miles NW of Omak, WA. Start 8/14. Full Suppression (all fires in complex). Timber and brush. Cause: Lightning. 133,142 acres. (+0). 90% containment. Moderate fire behavior with backing, creeping and isolated torching. Residences and structures destroyed. Agricultural land, irrigation infrastructure, T&E species, watersheds, rangeland and commercial timber threatened. Road, trail and area closures in effect. Evacuation notices in effect. FMAG approved (8/15).

Includes two merged fires: Beaver Lake (WA-OWF-000671). 25,956 acres. Lime Belt (WA-OWF-000657). 107,186 acres.

Tunk Block WA-NES-001219. IMT1. CA Team 1 (McGowan). 3 miles E of Omak, WA. Start 8/14. Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Unknown. 167,840 acres. (+0). 82% containment. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Assessing damage to residences, cabins and commercial structures. Road and area closures in effect. Evacuation notices in effect. Fire Mobilization authorized (8/19). CA Team 1 (McGowan) managing Tunk Block and North Star.

Meeks Table WA-OWF-000784. IMT2. WA Team 4 (Gales). 14 miles NW of Naches, WA. Start 9/12. Full Suppression. Timber. 937 acres. (-64). 15% containment. Moderate fire behavior with creeping and backing. Residences, structures, natural resources and T&E species threatened. Road closures in effect. Reduction in acreage due to more accurate mapping.

Kettle Complex (4 fires) WA-COF-001264. IMT2. WA Team 1 (Ciraulo). 26 miles NW of Colville, WA. Start 8/11. Full Suppression (all fires in complex). Timber. Cause: Lightning. 76,521 acres. (-104). 68% containment. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering and creeping. Residences, commercial property and structures threatened. Road, trail and area closures in effect. Evacuation notices in effect. Reduction in acreage due to more accurate mapping.

Includes four fires: Graves Mountain (WA-COF-001196). 8,593 acres. 75% containment; Stickpin (WA-COF-001111). 53,925 acres. 65% containment.Renner (WA-COF-001202). 13,771 acres. 75% containment. North Boulder 2 (WA-COF-000867). 232 acres. 100% containment.

Chelan Complex (5 fires) WA-SES-000701. IMT2. WA Team 3 (Allbee). 1 mile S of Chelan, WA. Start 8/14. Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Unknown. 88,985 acres. (+0). 95% containment. Moderate fire behavior with creeping, backing and single tree torching. Residences and structures destroyed. Residences, commercial property, natural habitat amd private grazing allotments threatened. Road and trail closures in effect. Evacuation notices in effect. FMAG approved (8/15).

Includes five merged fires; Reach (WA-SPD-000651); McFarland Creek (WA-OWF-000669); Cagle (WA-SES-000655); Antoine Creek (WA-OWF-000654); Black Canyon (WA-OWF-000663).

Wolverine WA-OWF-000287. IMT2. WA Team 2 (Rabe). 3 miles NW of Lucerne, WA. Start 6/29. Point Zone Protection/Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Lightning. 65,512 acres. (+0). 35% containment. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering and creeping. Residences and structures destroyed. Communities, residences and structures threatened. Road, trail and area closures in effect. Evacuation notices in effect. WA Team 2 (Rabe) currently managing Wolverine and First Creek.

First Creek WA-OWF-000650. IMT2. WA Team 2 (Rabe). 8 miles NW of Chelan, WA. Start 8/14. Full Suppression. Grass and timber. Cause: Lightning. 7,490 acres. (+0). 97% containment. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Residences and structures destroyed. Evacuation notices in effect. WA Team 2 (Rabe) currently managing Wolverine and First Creek.

Carpenter Rd. WA-SPA-000046. IMT3. 35 miles NW of Spokane, WA. Start 8/14. Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Human. 63,972 acres. (+0). 95% containment. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Residences and structures destroyed and threatened. Road and area closures in effect.

Kaniksu Complex (7 fires) WA-COF-001302. IMT3. 35 miles E of Colville, WA. Start 8/18. Monitor/Confine/Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Lightning. 26,044 acres. (+0). 100% containment. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Residences, commercial property, historic sites, commercial timber, recreation infrastructure, campgrounds, T&E species habitat and structures threatened. Road, trail and area closures in effect. Last report on morning briefing unless significant activity occurs. See NW Fires Utilizing Monitor, Confine, Point Zone Protection Suppression Strategies (YTD) (link) for future updates.

Includes seven fires: Tower (WA-COF-001120). 24,143 acres. (+0). 100% containment; Onata Creek (WA-NES-001310) 546 acres. (+0). 100% containment;Baldy (WA-COF-001003). 515 acres. (+0). 100% containment; Grease Creek (WA-COF-001212). 633 acres. (+0). 100% containment; Hall Mountain (WA-COF-001164). 39 acres. (+0). 0% containment; Slate Creek (WA-COF-001221). 1 acre. (+0). 0% containment; South Fork Slate Trail – D5 (WA-COF-001218). 167 acres. (+0). 0% containment.

Canyon Creek Complex (3 fires) OR-MAF-015192. IMT3. 7 miles N of Seneca, OR. Start 8/12. Full Suppression (all fires in complex). Timber and grass. Cause: Lightning. 110,422 acres. (+0). 90% containment. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Residences and structures destroyed. Residences, critical habitat, watershed and wilderness threatened. Road, trail and area closures in effect. FMAG approved (8/15).

Includes 3 fires. Berry Creek merged with Mason Spring: Berry Creek (OR-MAF-015271). 100 acres; Mason Spring (OR-MAF-0152270). 110,161 acres;Jerrys Draw (OR-952S-015306). 161 acres.

Cougar Creek WA-YAA-000157. IMT3. 6 miles NW of Glenwood, WA. Start 8/10. Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Lightning. 53,534 acres. (+0). 97% containment. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Structures, natural resources, T&E species habitat and campgrounds threatened. Road, trail and area closures in effect.

Grizzly Bear Complex OR-UMF-000947. IMT3. 20 miles SE of Dayton, WA. Start 8/13. Monitor/Confine/Point Zone Protection/Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Lightning. 76,475 acres. (+0). 44% containment. Moderate fire behavior with smoldering, creeping and isolated torching. Residences, T&E species habitat, recreational facilities, and natural resources threatened. Road, trail and area closures in effect. This complex contains 17 fires (varying sizes, some have merged). FMAG approved (8/21). No new information.

Horsethief Butte WA-SES-000789. IMT3. 4 miles W of Wishram, WA. Start 9/13. Full Suppression. Grass. Cause: Unknown. 7,960 acres. (+4,760). 95% containment. Minimal fire behavior. FMAG approved (9/14).

National Creek Complex (2 fires) OR-RSF-000836. IMT3. 10 miles SW of Diamond Lake, OR. Start 8/1. Full Suppression (all fires in complex). Timber. Cause: Lightning. 20,945 acres. (+1,447). 85% containment. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Road, area and trail closures in effect.

Includes two merged fires: Crescent (OR-CLP-000405). 20,825 acres. (+1,447); National (OR-RSF-000787). 120 acres. (+0).

County Line 2 OR-WSA-000060. IMT3. 15 miles NW of Madras, OR. Start 8/12. Full Suppression. Timber. Cause: Unknown. 67,207 acres. (+0). 98% containment. Minimal fire behavior. Residences and structures destroyed and threatened. No new information.

NW Fires Utilizing Monitor, Confine, Point Zone Protection Suppression Strategies (YTD) (link)

Lists fires (of any size) that singly utilize Monitor, Confine, or Point Zone Protection suppression strategies, or use Multiple Suppression Strategies (which may also include a Full Suppression component).

Northwest Fire Potential Summary:

Benign burning conditions under cloudy, cool and at times wet conditions through Thursday. One weather disturbance will move onshore early this afternoon with another one Thursday morning. Wetting rains should hit most of the Northwest from these two systems. Mostly drier and warmer conditions Friday and through the weekend.

More info, see NW 7-Day Significant Fire Potential Forecast, and National 7-Day Significant Fire Potential Forecast