8/27/17 Jolly Mountain Fire Morning Update

Jolly Mountain Fire

Start Date: 8/11
Cause: Lightning
Size: 3,316 acres
Percent: Containment: 0%

Crews: 7
Helicopters: 3
Engines: 17
Total Personnel: 346

Location: Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA

Summary: Additional firefighting resources arrived on the Jolly Mountain Fire yesterday. Two FireBoss aircraft are assigned to the fire; these fixed-wing airplanes can scoop water from the lake to drop over the fire. They require about 5,000 feet of open water and can scoop up nearly 800 gallons of water in 60 – 90 seconds. Cle Elum Lake will be patrolled by local officials to ensure that recreationalists are clear of areas being used by firefighting aircraft.

Fire activity did increase yesterday due to the higher temperatures and low relative humidity. However, atmospheric stability prevented the smoke column from rising straight up. Instead, high transport winds carried smoke to the southeast. This layer of smoke then shaded out the southeastern portion of the fire area, where several spot fires have been generally spreading over the past few days and limited that fire growth. Updated mapping was unavailable last night. A more accurate perimeter will be available tomorrow.

The Jolly Mountain Fire presents many challenges to the firefighters assigned. Because the fire is burning in very steep terrain, where disease and insects have left a high volume of dead trees, firefighting safety is a significant concern to land managers. Indirect firefighting tactics have been utilized to minimize firefighter exposure where opportunities for success are higher. For example, fire crews are working to made roads more accessible for large firefighting equipment as well as to be used as firelines in anticipation of the fire’s potential to reach those areas.

Weather: Today is expected to be a few degrees warmer than yesterday was and humidity may drop into the teens. Winds will remain light. This pattern will continue into Monday. A mild cooling trend is predicted for mid-week, ahead of another warm, dry spell by next weekend.

Evacuations: The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office has issued Level 2 evacuation notices in the Morgan Creek, Bell Creek, and Timber Ridge communities along Cle Elum Lake, and for all residences on Anna Bell Drive, Bell View Drive, and west of Salmon La Sac Road from Anna Bell Drive north to Forest Service Road 4330. Under a Level 2 “Get Set” notification, residents should prepare to leave at a moment’s notice. Visit https://tinyurl.com/yb2wfelg for an interactive map showing the current evacuation status.

Closures: In response to firefighting efforts and to ensure the safety of firefighters, residents, and the public, area closures have been enacted by the local land management agencies. All Forest Service lands in the upper Cle Elum Valley are closed, including all roads, trails and campgrounds north of the Last Resort Restaurant located on State Route 903. The Nature Conservancy has closed all TNC-managed lands on Cle Elum Ridge. Washington Department of Natural Resources has closed lands north of the West Fork and west of North Fork of the Teanaway River. Please consult detailed maps, available on fire information boards as well as posted online, prior to making recreational plans.

Fire Restrictions: All campfires are banned on Cle Elum Ranger District due to the high fire danger.