9/7/2017 Jack Creek Fire Update

Joint effort by firefighters and recreation crews to begin point protection activities

Yesterday Wenatchee River Ranger District trail crew members, wilderness rangers and stock program lead, assisted district firefighters with the implementation of point protection on recreational features within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.  Pack animals were utilized to pack in several 65 pound rolls of structure wrap into the wilderness and stage in strategic locations for yesterdays and future point protection activities. Phase one focused on wrapping seven wood Wallowa toilets at Eightmile, Little Eightmile and Stuart Lakes with fire protective wrap. Key wood Wilderness signs were removed to prevent damage.  Wilderness Rangers will complete area and trail closures today.

Jack Creek Fire has been inactive without much reportable growth over the past few days, recon and infrared flights will provide additional updates on perimeter growth.  Yesterday aerial resonance were unavailable due to smoke from area fires. Fire activity remains low with creeping and smoldering. The currently management strategy of monitoring while providing point protection, allows Jack Creek Fire to play its natural ecological role while maintaining wilderness values, and help prevent uncharacteristic fires in the future. View Era of Mega Fires video to learn more about the positive benefits of fire on the landscape. 

How You Can Help: 

When a natural disaster strikes, it is common for communities and local organizations to want to help.  You can help by contacting your local Red Cross Organization at (590) 663-3907, or donating to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation https://wffoundation.org  

Through it all, our number one priority remains firefighter and public safety. We engage every wildfire, every day, in every location- making decisions about the best approach with the best available information at the time. Please live safely in this fire adapted landscape by taking steps now to make your personal property adapted: fireadapted.org/ 

The Forest Service works closely with other federal and state partners to predict and mitigate smoke impacts on individuals and communities during wildfires, visit wasmoke.blogspot.com/ for air quality information.

Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee area businesses are fully open and operational.

Closures: All closures associated with the Jack Creek Fire remain in place.  For a list of closed trails and a closure map please visit http://tinyurl.com/JackCreekInciweb