8/27/2018 Crescent Mountain, McLeod and Holman Fires

CRESCENT MOUNTAIN FIRE Level 3 Evacuations Community Meeting on Monday, August 27, at Twisp Community Center, 6:30 p.m. August 27, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. : 42,784 acres; 24 percent contained ●   Personnel: 559 ●   Point of Origin: Approximately 21 miles west of Twisp ●   Start Date: July 29, 2018 ●   Cause: Lightning McLeod Fire: 21,585 acres; five percent contained ●   Personnel: 497 ●   Point of Origin: Approximately eight miles north of Mazama ●   Start Date: August 11, 2018 ●   Cause: Lightning Holman Fire: 284 acres, no containment ●   Point of Origin: Holman Peak ●   Start Date: August 17, 2018 ●   Cause: Unknown Crescent Mountain Fire: Light showers and higher relative humidity enabled the firefighters to make a direct attack on the fire in the Buttermilk Butte and Twisp River Valley. Crews were able to tighten the perimeter and secure more of the active fire edge. In the Slate Lake area, crews worked in conjunction with two helicopters to cool the fire edge, while continuing to construct control lines.   McLeod Fire: Light rain afforded crews the opportunity to make a direct attack on the fire. After successful tactical firing operations over the past several days, crew will continue to secure more of the active fire area. A focused effort is being placed along 5220 road and into the Sweetgrass area.   Holman Fire: The fire is still actively burning in the Pasayten Wilderness area. Due to hazardous conditions surrounding the fire, the forest closure of the Pacific Coast Trail from Hart’s Pass to the Canadian border is still in effect.   Evacuations: Crescent Mountain Fire: A Level 3 (GO now) evacuation is in effect for all persons living west of the Little Bridge Creek intersection in the Twisp River Valley. A Level 2 (get SET) evacuation is in effect for persons living west of Newby Creek Road to Little Bridge Creek Road in the Twisp River Valley. Alerts has been issued for Poorman and Libby Creek. The Red Cross has a shelter available at the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp. No evacuations are in effect for the McLeod or Holman Fires.   Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has issued several closure orders and a Stage II Fire Restriction. Trail closures are in effect for the North Cascades National Park near Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. See North Cascades National Park website for details. Maps and information on the closures can be found on InciWeb. Temporary flight restriction information is  available at the Federal Aviation Administration’s website.   Smoke/Weather: After the passing of last night’s cold front we are expecting a drying trend for the next three to four days. Though the rain created a tactical advantage for crews to make a direct attack on the fire the lighter fuels are expected to dry quickly and become readily available to burn in the coming days. The Washington Smoke Information’s webpage has information on smoke and public health. Smoke information in Spanish can be found on theWA Dept. of Health’s website. Area businesses are open. Please consider showing your support by shopping in the local community. Incident Management Team: The Southern Area Blue Type 1 Incident Management Team. Inciweb: Crescent Mountain: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6093/      McLeod: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6130/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrescentMTNFire/ Fire Information Center: (480) 744-9318                    Email: gilbertfireinfo2018@gmail.com