9/16/2015 Okanogan Complex Update

CURRENT FIRE SITUATION

Firefighters continue to monitor the fire near Cabin Creek as it burns downslope toward Forest Road (FR) 42,

where it will be mopped up. The remainder of the fire area is in patrol and mop up status, while excess equipment and supplies are being picked up and removed. Suppression repair is occurring wherever appropriate, while fire personnel continue searching for uninventoried dozer lines.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR

Today, heavy cloud cover will predominate over the fire area, with temperatures in the sixties in the valley and fifties above 5,000 feet in elevation. Humidity will be around 21% to 29% in the valleys and 32% to 42% above

4,000 feet. Overnight and into Thursday, one to three tenths of an inch of rain is predicted, and above 5,000 feet snow is expected. Wind in the fire area will be light from the north early, switching to south/southwest, 8 to 12 mph gusting to 16 mph in the afternoon.

The moisture content of all fuels in the fire area remains below 10 percent, but cooler and damper weather will be conducive to effective mop up. Interior fuels will continue to ignite and burn, producing visible smoke until significant rain or snow falls.

SAFETY

Forest Service roads on the west side of the fire within the area closure (see below) are closed to the public. Law-enforcement personnel are enforcing road closures, which are identified with a sign or barricade. Although not every closed road is staffed, fire managers ask the public to respect the closures for firefighter and public safety.

EVACUATIONS AND ROAD CLOSURES

·   Call the Okanogan County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 509-422-7348 to report primary residences that were damaged or destroyed in this year’s wildfires. The EOC also provides information on evacuations and road closures  https://www.facebook.com/Okanogan.County.Emergency.Management

·   The Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest issued an area closure, effective September 4, 2015, for National Forest lands in the fire area:  http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/4534/29367/ or http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices