9/1/2017 Jolly Mountain Fire Update

Jolly Mountain Fire Update   Friday, September 1,2017   Start Date Cause Size Percent  Containment Crews Helicopters Engines Total Personnel 8/11 Lightning 11,496 acres 0% 7 4 19 379 Location:  Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 11 miles northwest of Cle Elum, WA Summary:  Fire behavior on the Jolly Mountain Fire yesterday was less significant than the previous day.  While winds were rather gusty through the day, terrain sheltered the fire for much of the morning.  Late in the afternoon, fire activity picked up.  The growth that did occur on the fire perimeter was primarily to the east, towards the Wagon Wheel/Middle Fork Teanaway River area.  The fire is also moving to the south, down the West Fork drainage, on the west side of the drainage.  The fire also continues to back slowly down the west side of Sasse Ridge, towards the Cle Elum River. As the fire continues to move closer to the surrounding communities, it may be visible throughout the day and night.  Additional resources are arriving on the fire, some of which are being assigned to night shift as fire managers anticipate engaging the fire directly in the coming days.  Safety is the highest priority on all wildland fires.  Fire managers are constantly evaluating opportunities to suppress the fire where it is safe for firefighters and the probably for success is highest.  Firefighters intend to light some backfires over the next couple days to reduce the risk of spread past contingency lines – a backfire is fire intentionally lit by firefighters in order to create break in the continuous fuels. Weather:  Inversions are possible in the mornings.  Those who are sensitive to smoke, particularly young children and the elderly, should limit outside activities while there is heavy smoke in the air.  High pressure will reestablish over the region, setting the stage for another prolonged warm and dry period.  And winds will again be from the northwest. Evacuations:  Don’t be scared; be prepared by remembering the five P’s for evacuations:  people (and pets), prescriptions, personal computers, photos, and papers.  Visit the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office webpage for complete descriptions of the Level 1 (Ready), Level 2 (Set), and Level 3 (Go) evacuation notices.  An interactive map, which allows a homeowner to enter an address and see its evacuation status, is available at https://tinyurl.com/yb2wfelg.  Additionally, officers are making contact with residents to advise them of the increased evacuation levels.  Contact the Emergency Operations Center at (509) 933-8305. Closures:  To ensure the safety of firefighters, residents, and the public, area closures are in effect.  Forest Service lands in upper Cle Elum Valley are closed beyond the Last Resort Restaurant on State Route 903.  The Nature Conservancy lands east of Cle Elum Lake are closed.  And 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. Washington Fires:  Several large fires are burning throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Information is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ and on social media.

Jolly Mountain Fire Information: (505) 303-0057 (8:00 am to 8:00 pm) Jolly Mountain Fire Information recorded line: (505) 585-5048 Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5496/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jollymountainfireinfo/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jolly_mountain  Email: jollymountainfireinfo@gmail.com