Diamond Creek Fire: Sunday September 17, 2017
Diamond Creek indirect firelines nearing completion
Location: 11 miles NNW of Mazama, WA
Total Personnel: 264
Acres: 127,300 total acres in US and Canada
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 30%
Start Date: July 23, 2017
Update: Continued progress completing firelines through the high country occurred yesterday on the 55 day-old Diamond Creek fire near Mazama.“We are a couple of days from completing our fire lines” said Operations Chief Jon Teutrine.
Wildland fire crews, dozers and feller bunchers are constructing fireline through the ridgelines connecting Yellowjacket Sno-park, Setting Sun Mountain, McLeod Mountain, Sunrise Peak, and Eightmile Peak. These are the primary and contingency network of firelines combined to protect values at risk along the southern perimeter of the wildfire. Firefighters will use these lines to defend the communities along the Methow River should the fire advance into these areas.
There are still 4 areas of active fire behavior on the Diamond Creek fire. In Monument Creek, the fire was active but did not show much movement to the south. The Pat Creek area continued to burn but was actively cooled by several helicopters dropping water. The Tungsten Creek area to the northeast saw additional growth and into Canada, a large burnout was conducted near Cathedral Peak.
Additional resources have been arriving for the suppression effort. A total of 9 fire crews, 10 engines and 4 dozers are currently assigned working to complete firelines. An additional large helicopter will arrive today to join the 2 other ships staged at Foster helibase near Mazama.
The fire continues to burn into steep, rugged terrain in the Pasaytan Wilderness and is being managed using a confine strategy that combines containment by natural features and full suppression to control the spread toward the town of Mazama.
Today’s Activities: Heavy equipment worked west from Yellowjacket along the Hart’s Pass Road toward the West Fork Methow Trailhead. They are cutting snags, chipping brush and eliminating ladder fuels. Heavy equipment is also constructing a shaded fuel break 50 feet wide paralleling Yellowjacket Creek to the northwest on the primary line while hand crews continue their progress toward McLeod Mountain from the southwest. Firefighters are improving defensible space around structures at Pasaytan airstrip ahead of the fire moving into the old Tatoosh burn.Weather: Temperatures will reach a high of 59 degrees in the Mazama area with cooler temperatures seen at elevation. A cold front is forecasted to bring light rain into the area this afternoon. Snow flurries will reach higher elevations. Overnight lows will near the freezing level tonight with clearing on Monday and rain and snow showers forecasted Tuesday into Wednesday.
Smoke: Smoky conditions from the Uno Peak and Diamond Creek fires may be evident in the valleys today. For smoke conditions and more information, visit wasmoke.blogspot.com.
Closures: The campgrounds at Ballard and River Bend and the Hart’s Pass Road are closed. The Pacific Crest Trail remains open at this time. The public should be aware that the fire situation is fluid and that new closures could occur with little advance warning. Complete closure details and maps are available at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/
Evacuation Alert Level: Mazama, Rendezvous and Lost River are at Level 2 evacuation. A Level 2 notifies residents and visitors that they should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Monitor emergency services information for updates. The Okanogan County alert system will provide automated alerts to the public. To sign up for this service, visit okanogandem.org or call (509) 422-7206.
Information: (509) 996-4040 from 8 am – 6 pm
Website: inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Facebook: facebook.com/
Smoke Conditions: wasmoke.blogspot.
Canada: http://bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.
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