Direct line where possible; indirect line where necessary;
mop-up underway
Nile, Wash. – Work continues to contain and mop-up the 1,024-acre Meeks Table fire burning about 5 miles west of the community of Nile. The fire size has not grown in several days. Light showers fell on the fire area last night, but fuel beneath tree canopies remains dry and interior burning will continue with creeping, smoldering and occasional tree torching.
Incident
containment is now 20%.
Today
firefighters will continue mopping up across the west, north and east sides of the
fire. Some areas have secured a 200-foot
perimeter. Other areas are prepared for additional
burn out operations to tie roads, hand lines and natural barriers together more
effectively. On the east side of the
fire, line construction today will extend toward anchor points in rocky
bluffs.
Mostly
cloudy weather is expected to continue today.
Winds will be stronger than recently experienced with gusts from the
west up to 20 mph this afternoon.
To
protect firefighter and public safety, the Forest Road 1600 system and the
Forest Road 1500 system from the eastern Forest boundary to Bethel Ridge (Cash
Prairie, Road 199) are closed. Only
firefighters and law enforcement officers are allowed to use these roads at
this time.
The
Naches Ranger District is implementing a plan to allow recreationists who left
their camps and equipment when instructed to evacuate from the Fire vicinity to
retrieve their belongings. A limited
number of US Forest Service employees will be on site at specific road blocks to
escort members of the public to and from roadside camp sites between 10 am and
4 pm daily for rapid retrieval of personal belongings. The points of access
are:
·
the
1500 Road (Bethel Ridge Rd) at the 199
junction for access to camps on the 1500 road system (T14N, R14E, section 7);
·
the 1600 Road
(Clover Springs Rd) at the 1601 junction for access to camps up the 1600 road
past that point (T16N, R15E, section 30); and
·
the 1600 Road
(Clover Springs Rd) at the 1706 junction for access to camps down to and including
access into the 1605 Road (T16N, R14E, Section 6).
Access will not be
available from the 1500 Road (Bethel Ridge) at the eastern forest boundary near
Nile. Contact the Naches Ranger District 509 653-1468 for more detail. This plan will be executed in an orderly and safe
manner.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.