8/20/16 Buck Creek Fire

CONTACT: District Ranger Jeff Rivera Paul Laak, Fire Information 509-548-2558 Cary Stock, Fire Management Officer 509-548-2581 DATE — August 20, 2016 Buck Creek Fire still burning entirely within Glacier Peak Wilderness

NOTICE: Fire closures remain in effect for the Buck Creek Fire, which include the Buck Creek Trail No. 1513, Chiwawa River Trail No. 1550, Phelps Creek Trail No. 1511 and the Carne Mountain Trail No. 1508. Also closed are the Phelps Creek Campground and Forest Road 6200 immediately north of Alpine Meadows Campground.

Leavenworth, WA – Further analysis of reconnaissance flight GPS data taken on Friday afternoon August 19, 2016 shows the Buck Creek Fire perimeter size to be at 1,073 acres.

The Buck Creek Fire was started by lightning on July 22, 2016 and has since then burned entirely within the Glacier Peak Wilderness. The Wenatchee River Ranger District has been managing the fire to maintain wilderness values. When the fire does move out of the Glacier Peak Wilderness, the fire will then be managed to maintain the resource benefits of multiple objectives. Those objectives will include, but not be limited to, protecting endangered fish habitat, National Forest campgrounds and trailheads and old-growth timber.

As of Saturday morning, the Buck Creek Fire’s southern-most perimeter was one-and-a-quarter mile north of the historic mining site of Trinity. Crews have already been at work there in preparation to protect structures and resources at that site.

The forecast is for continued hot and very dry weather on Saturday with increasing winds on Sunday ahead of a strong cold front. A Type 3 team will be taking over command of the incident on Sunday, August 21, 2016. The team will be led by Dave Nalle from the Wenatchee River Ranger District.