9/30/2022 Kalama Fire Update

 

Overview: The Kalama Fire, located southeast of Kalama Horse Camp on the south side of Mount St. Helens, is at approximately 435 acres in size and is currently five percent contained. Acres increased only slightly with burn out operations to assist in securing the perimeter of the fire. Cooler weather and rain over the fire area these past few days has assisted in the firefighting efforts.

Fire Behavior: The fire was located on a cliff and is now burning on extremely steep ground. Fire fighters are preparing indirect lines in more favorable terrain where they can be successful. Fire behavior has been smoldering and creeping with some torching observed. The potential for fire growth remains and containment lines are being put in place.

Weather: Weather today is predicted to be drier and warmer then the past few days. A surface thermal trough will push up from the south, creating northerly flow with warmer and drier weather. Tonight, the thermal trough pushes west which will allow some drier east winds to filter into the fire area. These east winds will continue through Saturday, allowing for and warmer and drier day, with a 20% chance that wind gusts could exceed 20 mph. East winds continue through Saturday night and warmer and drier weather is expected on Sunday.

Closures: Closures remain in place - View a Closure Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1059380.pdf

Trails: Cinnamon Trail #204, Kalama Ski Trail #231, Toutle Trail #238, Fossil Trail #242, Kalama Falls Trail #242A

Roads:

• Forest Road (NFS) Road No.81, from the junction with State Route 503 Spur to the junction with NFS Road No. 8100-830 and all associated NFS spur roads off NFS Road No. 81
• NFS Road No. 8117 and all associated NFS spur roads off of NFS Road No. 8117
• NFS Road No. 8122 and all associated NFS spur roads off of NFS Road No. 8122

         Attention Climbers: ·Access to Climbers Bivouac (and climbing route) is open.

Fire Restrictions: Campfire bans, and other public use restrictions are in place across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and much of the region. View Forest Order: www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1049107.pdf

Evacuations:   Due to moderating fire weather and additional resources on the Kalama Fire the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources, has issued updated evacuation notifications for Kalama Fire (which is not affecting the City of Kalama or residents along the Kalama River Road at this time). The following updates are effective immediately: 

View an evacuation map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060104.pdf

Level 2, Set Evacuation Level:

• North to South: From the Headwaters of the South Fork of the Toutle River, south to Forest Road 7550.
• East to West: From the Skamania County/Cowlitz County border west 5 miles into Cowlitz County.

Level 1, Ready Evacuation Level:

• North to South: South from Forest Road 7550 to south of Merrill Lake.
• East to West: Skamania County/Cowlitz County border west 5 miles into Cowlitz County

Sign up for county alerts: https://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/196/Emergency-Management

Size: 435 acres with potential for growth. Containment: 5% Cause: Under investigation.

Fire Information Phone Line: 360-449-7874

Public Information Officer: Sharon Steriti 360-852-3390

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8420   

Forest Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/fire      

9/30/2022 Bolt Creek Fire Update

9/30/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/30/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/30/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/29/2022 Double Creek Fire Update

9/29/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/29/2022 Bolt Creek Fire Update

9/29/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/29/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/28/2022 Bolt Creek Fire Update

9/28/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/28/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/28/2022 Double Creek Fire Update

9/28/2022 White River, Irving Peak and Minnow Ridge Fires Update

 

White River, Irving Peak, and Minnow Ridge Fires Update Fire Information Line: 509-557-0973 September 28, 2022   --  8:30 a.m.

·   Acres:  9,579 ·   Personnel:  92 ·   Location:  15 miles northwest of Plain, WA ·   Start Date:  August 11, 2022 ·   Estimated Completion:  October 30, 2022               Fire updates will be occurring about once a week, or as conditions change.   Operations on the White River and Irving Peak Fires: Over the past several days the Irving Peak and White River fires experienced minimal fire growth. The fires have been burning in close proximity to each other and have merged into one fire. The fire has slowly moved downhill to meet containment lines and road systems in the area.   Along the western perimeter in the Little Wenatchee drainage, a few spot fires occurred due to large burning logs rolling down the steep terrain. Crews were able to get access to the spot fires in the bottom of the drainage and contain them, preventing the fire from crossing the Little Wenatchee River.   Another spot fire on the southeast corner was located across White River on a peninsula where the river meanders. This and a few other small spot fires were contained by firefighters over the past few days. Helicopters have been used for water drops as needed to assist in controlling spot fires and keeping the fire in check including the area above Windmill Lane.   A Burned Area Emergency Response Team arrived on September 26 to complete initial assessments of post-fire conditions and determine the need for additional emergency stabilization actions to prevent loss of life and property and critical and natural resources.   Additional suppression repair work will continue on the Irving Peak side of the fire including chipping, repairing culverts, road surfacing, and identifying material that needs to be dispersed to prevent erosion and watershed damage.   Due to the increase in suppression repair activities in the coming days, the public can expect to see more vehicles and heavy equipment traffic on the White River Road #6400 and Chiwawa River Road #6200.   Operations on the Minnow Fire: The Minnow fire has had moderate growth with the most activity on the east-northeast perimeter in the Marble Creek area. The western edge has not crossed Chickamin Creek.   Weather and Smoke Updates: The past several days have been warm and dry, conducive to active fire conditions. Smoke from the White River, Irving Peak, and Minnow Ridge fires continues to impact local communities. A cold front is moving into the area with expected improvement of air quality this afternoon through Friday, September 30th. Smoky conditions will return Saturday through the weekend and may linger for several days.   Smoke from the Minnow Ridge fire is likely to impact the local vicinity until a season-ending event such as multiple days of significant rain or snow occurs.   Individuals who are sensitive to smoke may want to take precautions and limit outdoor activities. Closures:  Fire closure orders remain in place with the following new closure additions:  Trail 1409 (Mad River Trail) between Marble Meadow and Blue Creek Cabin. Trail 1426 (Blue Creek Trail) between Marble Meadow and intersection with Trail 1425 (North Tommy).   Trail 1426 (Blue Creek Trail) will remain OPEN between Blue Creek Cabin and Trial 1425 (North Tommy).   Evacuation levels:  All evacuations have been reduced to level 1.   Fire Information: ·      Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8329/ ·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteRiverFireInfo ·      Fire Information Center: 509-557-0973    #whiteriverfire -End-

9/28/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/27/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/27/2022 Bolt Fire Update

9/27/2022 Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo and Goat Mountain Two Fires Update

9/27/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/26/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/26/2022 Kalama Fire Update

Overview: The Kalama Fire, located southeast of Kalama Horse Camp on the south side of Mount St. Helens, is at approximately 355 acres in size and is currently five percent contained. Acres increased only slightly with burn out operations to assist in securing the perimeter of the fire. Cooler weather over the fire yesterday assisted in the firefighting efforts.

Fire Behavior: The fire was located on a cliff and is now burning on extremely steep ground. Fire fighters are preparing indirect lines in more favorable terrain where they can be successful. Fire behavior has been smoldering and creeping with some torching observed. The potential for fire growth remains and containment lines are being put in place.

Weather: Weather today is predicted to be warm and dry with gusty winds later this morning. Lower relative humidity is expected in the afternoon. A warmer and drier pattern is expected to persist over the next few days.

Closures:

View a Closure Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1059380.pdf

Trails: Cinnamon Trail #204, Kalama Ski Trail #231, Toutle Trail #238, Fossil Trail #242, Kalama Falls Trail #242A

Roads:

• Forest Road (NFS) Road No.81, from the junction with State Route 503 Spur to the junction with NFS Road No. 8100-830 and all associated NFS spur roads off NFS Road No. 81
• NFS Road No. 8117 and all associated NFS spur roads off of NFS Road No. 8117
• NFS Road No. 8122 and all associated NFS spur roads off of NFS Road No. 8122

         Attention Climbers: ·Access to Climbers Bivouac (and climbing route) is open.

Fire Restrictions: Campfire bans, and other public use restrictions are in place across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and much of the region. View Forest Order: www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1049107.pdf

Evacuations:   Due to moderating fire weather and additional resources on the Kalama Fire the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources, has issued updated evacuation notifications for Kalama Fire (which is not affecting the City of Kalama or residents along the Kalama River Road at this time). The following updates are effective immediately: 

View an evacuation map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060104.pdf

Level 2, Set Evacuation Level:

• North to South: From the Headwaters of the South Fork of the Toutle River, south to Forest Road 7550.
• East to West: From the Skamania County/Cowlitz County border west 5 miles into Cowlitz County.

Level 1, Ready Evacuation Level:

• North to South: South from Forest Road 7550 to south of Merrill Lake.
• East to West: Skamania County/Cowlitz County border west 5 miles into Cowlitz County

Sign up for county alerts: https://www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/196/Emergency-Management

Size: 326 acres with potential for growth. Containment: 5% Cause: Under investigation.

Fire Information Phone Line: 360-449-7874

Public Information Officer: Sharon Steriti 360-852-3390

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8420  

9/26/2022 Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo and Goat Mountain Two Fires Update

9/26/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/26/2022 Bolt Fire Update

9/26/2022 Boulder Mountain Fire Update

9/26/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/25/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

 Overview: The Goat Rocks Fire continues to burn 1.5 miles northeast of the town of Packwood, Washington in and around the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Though there will be a change in command of the fire today, firefighters will continue their work to prevent fire from reaching highly-valued resources. Over the two weeks that Northwest Incident Management Team (IMT) 10 has been in command of the fire, good progress has been made toward completing firefighting objectives: 92% of indirect control lines have been completed, additional contingency lines are in place between the fire and residential areas. Crews have reduced fuels around more than 150 homes in the closest neighborhoods and placed fire protection features such as hose lines, sprinklers and water tanks around those structures. To date, this work has been accomplished without any serious injuries. Firefighter and public safety are the highest priority on the Goat Rocks Fire.   Northwest IMT 10 Incident Commander Alan Lawson would like to thank the U.S. Forest Service, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Lewis County Department of Emergency Management, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Packwood Fire Department and the community for their support and cooperation during this firefighting effort.

Firefighting Activity: Yesterday, crews located another 2 – 3 acre slop-over just outside the containment lines on the south side of Coal Creek. Fire managers used helicopter bucket drops there and over other hotspots along the fire’s western edge. The work to clear Forest Road 4618 proved even more valuable than planned after a tree fell across Forest Road 4612, forcing firefighters to work from the 4618 Road instead. Woody debris removal was on-going along Forest Road 041, and chipping was underway where that road intersects with the 4610. On the northeastern edge near Dam Creek, fire continued to burn.. Helicopters also worked over that portion of the fire with on-going bucket drops. An additional helicopter, capable of serving as a platform for rappelling firefighters, arrived. The helispot along Forest Road 46 north of the fire was finished, and the helibase move to Packwood Airport was accomplished. Patrols through the neighborhoods are on-going.

Today, crews will continue to prepare the 4618 Road as a contingency line and woody debris removal as well as chipping will continue on Forest Road 041. Firefighters will scout for access points to the small slop-over south of Coal Creek. If its location proves too dangerous to access on the ground, fire managers will use bucket drops to slow the small fire’s spread.  Crews will monitor the fire in the Dam Creek and Coal Creek drainages, again using helicopters as necessary to moderate growth. Crews will maintain a presence in the neighborhoods. Nevada IMT 4 will assume command of the Goat Rocks Fire at 6 p.m. today.

Weather: The warming trend continues on today with temperatures increasing and humidity decreasing through this pattern’s forecast peak on Monday.  Light easterly winds are likely. The return to more typical fall-like weather is expected on Tuesday as a shift to onshore flow brings cooler temperatures and gusty winds out of the west with the prediction of precipitation.

Forest Closures: For information on current road and trail closures, you can go to this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060181.pdf

Evacuations: Areas northeast of Butter Creek and north of US-12, including Lower Timberline and Goat Rocks, are still at an Evacuation Level 1 (Be Ready). Upper Timberline remains at an Evacuation Level 2 (Be Set).

Fire Restrictions: Campfire bans and other use restrictions are in place across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Campfires are allowed within certain campgrounds identified on: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/giffordpinchot/alerts-notices.

Public Safety: Make your home and property more wildfire-resistant.  Learn more at www.firewise.org  

Sign-up For Alerts: To receive alerts from Lewis County in the case of an emergency, sign up at https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/emergency-management/lewis-county-alert/

The percent of containment on a fire is one measure of progress, but not the only one. Completion of firefighting objectives is another measure of progress. These objectives include construction of control lines and protecting highly valued resources such as the Packwood community, sensitive tribal resources, and historic structures at Packwood Lake.  This deliberate and methodical strategy is designed to achieve these protection goals without subjecting firefighters to unacc
eptable risk.

9/25/2022 Bolt Creek Fire Update

9/25/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/25/2022 Double Creek Fire Update

9/25/2022 Boulder Mountain Fire Update

9/25/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/24/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/24/2022 Bolt Creek Fire

9/24/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/24/2022 Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo and Goat Mountain Two Fires Update

9/24/2022 Boulder Mountain Fire Update

9/24/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/23/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/23/2022 Rum Creek Fire Update

9/23/2022 Boulder Mountain Fire Update

9/23/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/23/2023 Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo and Goat Mountain Two Fires

9/23/2022 Bolt Creek Fire Update

9/23/2022 NWCC Morning Brief

9/22/2022 Goat Rocks Fire Update

9/22/2022 Rum Creek Fire Update

9/22/2022 Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo and Goat Mountain Two Fires Update

9/22/2022 Cedar Creek Fire Update

9/22/2022 Bolt Creek Fire Update