8/5/2018 - Cougar Creek Fire Update

Cougar Creek, Bannock Lake, and Whitepine Fires Sunday, August 5, 2018

·   Size: 3837 acres ·   Personnel: 664 ·   Location: 20 miles northwest of Entiat ·   Start Date: July 28, 2018 ·   Cause: Lightning Announcement: There will be a public meeting Sunday at 6:00 p.m. at Entiat’s main fire station (2200 Entiat Way). Personnel from California Interagency Incident Management Team 5, the local fire department, and the US Forest Service will report on the fire’s progress and be available to answer questions. Current Activity: Last night engine crews patrolled the Entiat River Valley and monitored spot fires that got established west of Tyee Ridge on the fire’s eastern perimeter. Moderate growth occurred yesterday. Crews used heavy equipment to reopen the Tyee Lookout Road (Forest Road 5700) to gain better access to the spot fires on the eastern perimeter. Air operations dropped water on the spot fires near Tyee Lookout and in Young Creek. Pockets of unburned vegetation in the fire’s interior continue to burn, closing the gap in the fire’s perimeter. Today firefighters and air operations will attempt to suppress the spot fires south of the Tyee Lookout. Crews will continue to improve old fireline constructed during previous fires and connect them to existing roads and trails. On the southwest side, crews are identifying opportunities to increase defensible space around structures northeast of Plain. Structure-protection crews are also installing sprinklers systems around key locations. Evacuations: Chelan County Emergency Management maintains an evacuation Level 3 north of Potato Creek (~milepost 14) on the Entiat River Road. Level 3 means “Leave Now”. Residents are allowed access with identification and proof of property ownership (for example, a property tax or utility statement). The Entiat River Road from Mad River Road to Potato Creek remains at Level 2. Level 2 means “Get Set”. Be packed and prepared to evacuate in case evacuation levels rise. Ardenvoir currently does not have any evacuation notices. The Red Cross has an evacuation shelter located at the Warehouse Community Church, 14916 Hwy 97A, Entiat, WA. For trailer parking and primitive camping, call Stucco by Alex, Inc. anytime at 509-421-7999. For the most current announcements, visit Chelan County Emergency Management Facebook site (www.facebook.com/CCSOEM/). Smoke: Smoke from the Cougar Creek Fire continues to increase and is visible from surrounding communities. N95 masks are available at local fire stations provided by the Chelan County Sheriff's Office. For more information on smoke and public health, go to www.wasmoke.blogspot.com or https://bit.ly/2J22754 (Spanish). Closures: The US Forest Service lands, roads, and trails are closed within Forest Roads 5700, 5200, 6101, 5800, 5605. Campgrounds accessed via the Entiat River Road north of Potato Creek are also closed. For additional information on this closure go to https://bit.ly/2AI9BqW.  Fire Information: Phone: 509-664-9210 (new number) Email: cougarcreekfireinfo2018@gmail.com Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6053/ Facebook: facebook.com/CougarCreekFire Twitter:  twitter.com/GrandCanyonNPS #WaWildfire #CougarCreekFire Incident Management Team: California Interagency Incident Management Team 5

Bannock Lakes and Whitepine Fires Current Activity: Both lightning-caused fires are less than 50 acres in steep, inaccessible terrain, and are being monitored daily by air. The Bannock Lakes Fire is approximately 17 miles west of Stehekin in the Glacier Peaks Wilderness. The Whitepine Fire, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, is approximately 3 miles south of Stevens Pass Nordic Center and 19 miles northwest of Leavenworth. Bannock Lakes Closures: https://bit.ly/2nezyF6 White Pine Closures: https://bit.ly/2nesWqg -End-