7/27/2024 Big Horn Fire Update

 

Big Horn Fire

 10:00 AM, July 27, 2024

Estimated size: 49,585 acres

Containment: 38%

Start Date/Time: 7/22/2024 at 1:07 PM

Area of Origin: 7 miles SE of Bickleton, WA

Cause: Undetermined                                                                 

Structures Damaged: 4

Update: 

Overnight operations had a night of cooler temperatures and minimal winds.  The crews worked hard to improve lines on the fire perimeter. Nighttime operations bring the ability to visually see areas of smoldering fuels and hotspots. Crews were able to respond to potential flare ups.

Taking advantage of this morning’s fair weather, crews are working to secure fire lines and increase the percentage of containment. Winds across the incident will be 5 to 10 mph with occasional gusts around 15 mph. 

Community Meeting: This afternoon, Saturday July 27th, 2024, Klickitat County Emergency Management and Southeast Washington Incident Management Team will host a community meeting at 2:00 PM.

Mercer Ranches Inc. – Conference Room 

46 West Sonova Road

Prosser, WA 99345

Evacuation Levels: As of yesterday evening, evacuation levels have decreased.  Please visit Klickitat County Emergency Management’s website or check Facebook for the most current information:

• https://www.klickitatcounty.org/249/Emergency-Management
• https://www.facebook.com/KlickitatDEM911

Road Closures: The west-bound shoulder of Highway 14 will be closed, please drive with caution as firefighters are working in the area. East Road remains closed from the Town of Bickleton south to Middle Road. Alderdale Road from Linda Lane south to the intersection of Highway 14 remains closed. 

Weather and Fire Behavior: Seasonal and fair conditions will prevail across the incident though this weekend.  Gusts up to 15 mph during the daytime.  

Smoke: Satellite imagery shows large swaths of smoke across the region.  With the large number of fires in the Pacific NW and continued westerly flow, smoke impacts should be expected in central and eastern Washington through the weekend. New Air Quality Alerts are in place for Klickitat, Benton, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin counties. If you are near fire locations, please stay up to date on evacuation orders.

While there are no current air quality alerts for Klickitat County, communities close to active wildfires could see air quality worsen as the fire and wind conditions change. Critical fire weather continues across Central and Eastern Washington; please continue to recreate responsibly as any fire starts could spread quickly. For more information on smoke and air quality, please visit: Washington Smoke Information (wasmoke.blogspot.com)

Shelter: At 10:00 AM this morning, the American Red Cross Shelter in neighboring Benton County will be closed.  We want to thank the volunteers that supported the shelter operations during the Big Horn Fire.

Resources: 38 engines, 11 water tenders, 1 helicopter, 4 dozers, 5 hand crews, 1 UAS module, 226 personnel total.