8/25/2021 Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fires Update

Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires hold steady ahead of management change

Current Situation: Green Ridge Fire: The Green Ridge Fire remains 35% contained and is 39,490 acres after 19 acres of growth on Monday. Fire activity was minimal again due on Tuesday despite sunny skies and lower relative humidity across the fire area. Crews continued mopping up sections of uncontrolled line in divisions M and K. Crews completed the removal of equipment and miles of hose from contained portions of line on the north and west sides of the fire so this equipment can be cleaned and redistributed to other incidents across the west. 

On Wednesday, crews will continue the patrol and mop up work that has been ongoing in divisions M and K on the north and west sides of the fire. The drying trend that started earlier this week will continue today and is expected to result in a slight increase in fire behavior and some smoke production. Three fire suppression modules will be monitoring fire activity and engaging any new fires or spots that occur in divisions P and S on the south side of the fire. 

Current Situation: Lick Creek Fire: The Lick Creek fire remains 80,421 acres and 97% contained. Firefighters will continue patrolling containment lines and addressing hot spots along those lines when needed. Smoke may be visible in the coming days as winds may cause unburned fuels inside the fire’s perimeter to burn.

At 6:00 a.m. on August 26, Rocky Mountain Team Black will transition command of the Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fires to Northwest Team 8, another Type 2 Incident Management Team. “Team Black greatly appreciated the cooperation from the local agencies and the warm welcome we received from the community during our time on the Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fires,” said Team Black Incident Commander Troy Hagan. 

Weather & Smoke Information: Increased cloud cover is expected over the fires Wednesday afternoon, which will keep temperatures cooler and relative humidity higher. Winds will blow out of the west-northwest at 5-8 mph with gusts up to 16 mph in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the high 60s above 5500’ and low to mid 70s in the valleys. Cloud cover is expected to increase this evening leading to higher relative humidity and reduced fire behavior in the coming days. Smoke information is available on Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ 

Forest Closures: Closures are in place on the Umatilla National Forest. The forest closure for some areas on the Umatilla NF have been amended. The amended order reopened most Umatilla NF lands in Oregon. The order also closed all lands on the Walla Walla Ranger District in Washington; forest lands in Washington on the Pomeroy Ranger District remain closed to entry. The closure order is available at https://go.usa.gov/xFyhn.

Evacuations: Evacuations in Garfield and Columbia Counties were amended on Tuesday, August 24. The Level 3 evacuation area north of the Green Ridge Fire has been changed to a Level 2 evacuation. This area includes Clearwater Tower, Stentz Springs, and Rose Springs. With these changes, Garfield County and Columbia County currently have Level 1 and 2 evacuations in place. The Grouse Flats area is currently under a Level 1 evacuation in Garfield County, Asotin County, and Wallowa County, Oregon. An interactive fire map that shows evacuations and other important information is available at https://arcg.is/0mrCe1.