This page is designed to provide for timely and official fire information about wildland fires across the Pacific Northwest. The information is posted by the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in partnership with Public Information Officers that work for federal, state and local fire agencies and is drawn from official sources within the wildland fire community.
Fire Terms
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Monday, August 30, 2021
Sunday, August 29, 2021
8/29/2021 Muckamuck Community Meeting Announcement and Fire Map Update
Virtual Community Meeting, Muckamuck Fire Aug 30, 6:30 pm
Northwest Incident Management Team 9 will be hosting a virtual community meeting on Monday, August 30, 2021 at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be presented via Zoom at the following link: https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1607393722
Phone in only option: 551-285-1373 meeting ID: 161 415 2236
There is a limited number of "virtual seats", so please be sure to log in early. For those who cannot join, a recording will be posted on the U.S Forest Service - Colville National Forest 20 Facebook page: www.fb.com/colvillenf
Questions may be submitted before the meeting in the Facebook comments below the community meeting posts or email them to: 2021.cedarcreek@firenet.gov or 2021.muckamuck@firenet.gov
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Friday, August 27, 2021
8/27/2021 Muckamuck Fire Update
Current Situation: Fire crews successfully conducted a slow and steady burn operation through vegetation Thursday to secure more of the northwest perimeter of the Muckamuck Fire, the most active of the four fires being managed by Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 9. Another small burnout is planned today to secure the 25 road to the 38 road utilizing handline and hose lay as conditions permit. Firefighters will mop up and secure control lines within the town of Conconully and along West Lake Road, secure heat in around the 38 road corridor and coordinate hazard tree removal and other mitigation work with land owners.
A Level 3 evacuation remains in effect for the Salmon Meadows-Kerr area. The Sinlahekin Road, North Fork Salmon Creek Road, Mineral Hill Road and the West Fork Road all remain closed outside of Conconully city limits.
Weather: A cold front from the north brought scattered light showers to the valley areas Thursday night, but little precipitation for the Muckamuck Fire. Friday is forecast to be sunny, cool and breezy, with northwesterly winds and gusts in the valleys up to 25 mph. The winds should subside Friday night, followed by several days of normal warm, dry weather.
Closures and Restrictions:
· Closure Order: 06-21-09-21-10 Southern Cub Creek 2 issued by the Colville National Forest has closed numerous areas, trails, and roads in and around the fire area
· FS Road 37 is closed at the junction with FS Road 42 west of Conconully
· FS Road 38 is closed at the forest boundary north of Conconully
· Mineral Hill Road is closed just west of Conconully
Evacuations:
· Level Three: Salmon Meadows-Kerr
· Level Two: Mineral Hill, West Fork-Conconully, and the area immediately surrounding the town limits of Conconully
· Level One: The area within the town limits of Conconully
Evacuation Center: United Methodist Church, 130 North Cedar St., Omak. (509) 422-7348
Public Use Restrictions: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/colville/alerts-notices
Air Quality: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/
Fire Information: Colville National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colvillenf
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/63462
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
8/25/2021 Twenty-Five Mile Fire Update
Yesterday, a community meeting was held to announce the evacuation level has been downgraded to Level 2 for South Lake Shore Drive starting from the Sherriff’s checkpoint at milepost 3 going north. Access to the area continues to be for residents and property owners only. 25 Mile State Park and Fields Point Landing remain closed to the public and the status will continue to be evaluated daily.
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.
8/25/2021 Chickadee Update
Current Situation:
- Areas of both fires continue to hold significant heat, even in areas that have been burning for three weeks.
- Crews continue to staff night operations, patrolling and monitoring overnight fire activity on both fires.
- As fire activity lessens and firefighting activity slows, resources can begin to assess damage to private property.
- The Rocky Mountain Incident Management Blue Team will transition with the Type 2 Pacific Northwest Team 12, which will assume command of both fires tomorrow, Thursday, August 26.
Operational Plan for Today:
- Line construction is complete on the south, east, and west sides of the Chickadee Creek Fire, using direct line wherever possible.
- Firefighters will continue to lay hose and mop up heat sources near the fire perimeter.
- Indirect lines are nearing completion in Chickadee Creek and Sarsapkin Creek in preparation for future burnout operations in those areas.
- Helicopters will work areas of heat, especially along the east end of the fire when flareups occur.
Fire conditions and weather:
- Toda's weather will be warmer and dryer than it has been for the past week. Temperatures will range from 65 to 75 degrees, with relatively humidity dropping to around 15 to 25 percent. Skies will be sunny with light winds.
- Fuels are gradually drying since the rain that was received on both fires over last weekend. Fire behavior is expected to increase with lower relative humidity and higher temperatures, with moderate fire behavior expected today.
Area Fire Restrictions:
- Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR): https://tinyurl.com/7ypskezs
- Colville National Forest: https://tinyurl.com/pt4kc8rc
- Okanogan County: https://tinyurl.com/jbt2xth4
- Bureau of Land Management: https://tinyurl.com/faws8t5d
Closures:
- Washington DNR: https://tinyurl.com/f7ux5c
- Colville National Forest: https://tinyurl.comsajw4pzu
Evacuations:
- Evacuations changed on August 23 in some areas. See Okanogan County Emergency Management's Walker Creek Fire web page for current evacuations: https://tinyurl.com/34fkh9kj
Temporary flight restriction:
- A temporary flight restriction is in effect for the fire areas: https://tfr.ffa.gov/. Remember: If You Fly, We Can’t!