Breezy conditions will increase interior burning; mop
up proceeds; road closures being reduced
Nile, Wash. – Conditions are expected to become increasingly breezy today as a cold front moves across the Meeks Table Fire area in mid-afternoon and evening. West winds 5-7 mph in the morning could become 12-15 mph with gusts to 20 mph after 3 pm. Higher than predicted winds could develop where narrow canyons align or winds become focused.
This
has the potential to increase fire activity. Crews who are mopping up and
improving containment lines will be on alert to threats and the fire is not
expected to escape.
Today
firefighters will be engaged in heavy mop up: using hand tools and water to
completely extinguish a distance within the perimeter that will be adequate to
ensure the fire cannot cross the containment lines.
Where
safely accessible, fire crews are suppressing small spot fires between steep
cliffs and Rattlesnake Creek on the south edge of the fire.
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) have been closed.
Only firefighters and law enforcement officers have been allowed to use
these roads.
Because
the threat of the fire spreading and the volume of fire fighter traffic have
decreased, the road closures in the vicinity of the Meeks Table Fire will be
reduced as of 11:59 pm tonight. The
immediate vicinity of the fire and roads that access it remain closed:
- Forest Road (FR)1601 and all forest roads and motorized use trails connecting to it from the junction of the 232 spur road to the terminus of the 1601 are closed.
- FR1500 at the east Forest Boundary to the junction of FR1503 and to the terminus of FR1502, including all forest spur roads connecting to the 1500 and 1502 between these points are closed.
The
remainder of the FR1600 and FR 1500 systems will reopen.
Campfire
restrictions on the Naches Ranger District have not changed.
Tomorrow,
the fire management will transfer to a Naches Ranger District Type IV
management team working under Incident Commander Jason Emhoff. Approximately 100 firefighters will continue
to mop up, patrol and repair any damage caused by the suppression effort.
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