9/17/2015 North Star and Tunk Block Update

Tunk Block Fire: Firefighters continue to improve constructed fire line and mop-up in the large unburned “island” in Tunk Valley and in areas along the east side of the fire. Crews are continuing to mop up any remaining heat near containment lines.

North Star Fire: Crews continue to mop-up hot areas around the fire perimeter. Additional efforts are occurring in the Nanamkin Creek area to hold the fireline that was recently completed in this area.

Both Fires:   The Tunk Block and North Star Fires are both very large. The fires combined are approximately 600 square miles. That is equivalent to approximately one third the size of the Grand Canyon. It is approximately 600 miles from Seattle to Redding, California. Smoke will likely be visible as Interior pockets continue to smolder and burn.

Crews are actively mapping the extensive network of dozer line on the fires perimeters and the external contingency lines built beyond the fire perimeters. Firefighters have completed suppression repair on four miles of dozer lines. The suppression repair effort will continue for several weeks.
The Washington Wildfire Response 2015 Joint Task Force 15-011 will be leaving the fires today and tomorrow. Agency Administrators and California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 would like to thank the military for their support in suppression of the Eastern Washington fires.

Weather:   After today’s predicted light shower, the weather is to be warmer and dryer through the weekend.

Evacuations: All evacuations have been changed to Evacuation level 1.

Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests have closures encompassing the entire fire areas and adjacent forested areas. Other areas outside of the burned areas remain open to recreation, hunting and woodcutting. Colville Indian Reservation forest and recreational areas within the fires are closed. See the maps at http://tinyurl.com/OkaWen-Closure-Map and http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3854418.pdf
Donation Information: The Long Term Recovery Group is accepting donations to benefit anyone affected by the Eastern Washington fires. They are located at 41 Apple Way in Okanogan (the formal Tribal Bingo Hall) http://www.cfncw.org/fire/. The Red Cross also accepts donations (1-800-Red-Cross).