8/22/2018 Boyds Fire Update

NW Incident Management Team 11 Boyds Fire Update Incident Commander Nathan Rabe Deputy Incident Commander Gary Jennings Deputy Incident Commander Bob Johnson

 

 

NW Incident Management Team 11

Boyds Fire Update

Incident Commander Nathan Rabe

Deputy Incident Commander Gary Jennings

Deputy Incident Commander Bob Johnson

Fire Information: 303-921-5818 or 303-921-5415

Email: boydsfire2018@gmail.com                                                                                                             

InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6139/

August 22, 2018

The Boyds Fire is located 3 miles west of Kettle Falls, WA. The footprint of the fire is 3,413 acres and is 54 percent contained. The fire continues to burn in a mixture of timber litter, slash, brush and grass. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Yesterday, crews continued mop-up along the north side of the fire south of Nancy Creek. Burnout operations on the west side of Boyds fire will be initiated later in the afternoon as weather conditions permit. Dozers built containment lines and crews installed sprinklers around Monday’s spot fire located on the south side of Boyds fire. The spot is contained and crews will continue to monitor for hot spots in the area. Several resources are being demobilized and reassigned to other fires or returned to their local jurisdictions.

Today, firefighters continue burnout operations to reduce fuels in the fire area and widen the containment lines creating more space to limit spotting over the containment lines. Aerial ignitions, using Plastic Sphere Dispensers (PSD), is planned for the afternoon within the southern interior area of the fire, weather permitting. Crews will be out scouting, assessing and marking Deadman Creek area, while the east side of the fire along Highway 20 and Highway 395 remains in patrol status.

The Operations Section is working with Resource Advisors (READ) from the US Forest Service and the National Park Service. READs offer recommendations on line construction, long-term incident management strategies such as minimizing ground and vegetation disturbance and waterway protection. READs scout ahead of crews and identify strategic locations for containment lines that minimize resource impacts.

The Boyds fire remains a complex incident, due to limited access and challenging topography, which requires ongoing strategic planning. Firefighter and public safety is the highest priority on the Boyd fire.

EVACUATION LEVELS: All areas from Boulder Creek Road south to Sherman Homes Road remain at a Level 2 (Get Set) evacuation. This evacuation level designation does not mean that the fire is out and these areas are out of danger. The public should be prepared to leave these areas at a moment’s notice. Evacuation levels are reviewed daily.

SMOKE: Unhealthy smoke conditions are expected to continue for through mid-week. The Northeast Tri County Health District website, www.netchd.org has information concerning air quality for this area. Please contact the health district for further information: https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/AirQuality/SmokeFromFires or www.wasmoke.blogspot.com.

ROAD CLOSURES: Bisbee Mountain Road and Trout Lake Road are closed and barricaded at Highway 20. Nancy Creek Road is closed at the US Forest Service boundary. The emergency fire closure for several roads on the Colville National Forest remains in place. The Order is Number 06-21-12-18-09, and is posted at various locations around the community. 

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 Ferry County Sheriff’s Office/911

 Stevens Co. Emergency Management

 Northeast WA Fire Information