8/5/2018 Miriam Fire Update

Miriam Fire Update- August 5, 2018- 11 a.m. Naches area (August 5, 2018, 11 a.m.) Acres: 1,034 acres (acreage increase primarily the result of new Infrared mapping data)                                    Percent Containment: 0%                             Start Date: 07/30/18  Personnel/Resources:  Three 20-person crews, 2 helicopter (others available, as needed), 14 engines, 1 dozer, 229 total personnel Location: Two miles east of White Pass Ski Area, within the Goat Rocks Wilderness on the Naches Ranger District, 32 miles southwest of Naches, WA. Cause: Lightning  Estimated Incident Containment or completion:  9/1/2018 A public meeting will be held today at 2 pm at the White Pass Village Inn to provide current updates on the Miriam Fire and associated evacuations and closures Current Activity: Subtle warming and drying increased fire activity yesterday until later in the afternoon when a thunderstorm passed through the area, wetting portions of the Fire. In addition, there was numerous lightning strikes along the crest of the Cascade, some in the fire area. This could result in new initial attack efforts. Burnout operations above FR 1207 began yesterday but were suspended after the rain showers. The north flank is still being held in check on the south side of Hell Creek. Brushing along FR 1200, south of the FR 1207 junction, continued yesterday and good progress was made on the structure protection work at the organizational camps at Clear Lake.   Burnout operations will be suspended for the time being and crews will focus on brushing and clearing FR 540 on the north flank to prepare the road for use as a containment line to protect the highway corridor.  Structure protection work, including setting up sprinkler systems, brushing and constructing hand trails, will continue at the organizational camps on Clear Lake. The assessment of structural protection needs have been complete for the cabins and resorts around Rimrock Lake.  Fire managers continue to evaluate and design the containment strategy for the west flank above White Pass Ski Area. Weather and Fire Behavior:  We expect mostly sunny skies early with some minor cumulus build-ups possible by late afternoon. Temperatures should be in the low 80s with relative humidity dropping to the mid-20s with light winds.  In areas where wetting rain was received we expect to see minimal fire spread, primarily creeping and smoldering. The areas that did not receive wetting rain could have active fire spread later today.  The extended forecast calls for increasingly hot and dry weather through the week.   Evacuations: Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations in the White Pass, Clear Lake and Rimrock Lake areas have not changed. Continue to follow Yakima County OEM for specific details on evacuation information. Closures: An Emergency Closure is in effect on the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Gifford Pinchot National Forests. The closure area is bounded by State Highway 12, FR 1200, FR 1000, and trails #1128, #1118, the Pacific Crest Trail and includes the White Pass Ski Area. The PCT is closed from Tieton Pass to White Pass with a detour available. Highway 12 remains open and is not currently threatened. Caution is advised for motorists near White Pass to Rimrock Lake due to heavy firefighting traffic in the area. For Online Miriam Fire Updates visit: Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6066/ Miriam Fire Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Miriam-Fire-Information-219341595438354/ Okanogan Wenatchee NF Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OkaWenNF/ Yakima County Office of Emergency Management: https://www.facebook.com/YakimaCountyOEM/  -End- Photo: Miriam Fire- Looking into the Hell Creek drainage 8-4-2018. Photo: Eric Johnson Stay connected to your public lands. Get the latest forest news and alerts by texting ‘follow OkaWenNF’ to 40404, 'liking' us on facebook or following us on twitter @OkaWenNF.  ‌  ‌  ‌ The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.