Northwest Interagency Coordination Center

Friday, August 31, 2018

8/31/2018 Cougar Creek, Lost and Bannock Lakes Fires

Cougar Creek, Lost and Bannock Lakes Fires

Friday, August 31, 2018

Acreage: 41,704

Containment: 50 percent

Personnel: 381

Containment of Cougar Creek Fire continues as

some road and recreation sites reopen

Cougar Creek Fire:

On Thursday, columns of smoke were again visible from Plain late in the day as drier and warmer conditions caused the fire to become more active within its existing perimeter. Local residents and visitors can expect to see smoke emanating from the interior of the fire until a fire season ending event of rain or snow occurs.

Thursday and Friday, firefighters continue to conduct burn-out operations at portions of the western part of the fire as conditions allow. Although this tactic does produce additional smoke, it is crucial to secure the fire line.

The most active area of the fire is at its northern edge. In this area, crews continue to recon and construct containment lines fire between Signal Peak and Cougar Meadow. This effort is intended to halt the northern progression of the fire and to contain the northeast corner of the fire. Thursday, extensive use of helicopters with water buckets successfully checked the northern spread of the fire. Six helicopters will continue to assist firefighters on the ground as deemed necessary. Mop up of hot spots and patrol of fire lines continues on the eastern, southern, and western perimeters of the fire. Repair of fire containment lines on the eastern and southern sections of the fire progresses.

Fire managers continue to “right-size” the fire- fighting organization as containment advances.

The Entiat River Road, Chiwawa River Road, and all Forest Service Campgrounds along these roads are now open. All trails connecting with the Chiwawa River Road are open. The Shady Pass Road #5900 is also open. Forest visitors are encouraged to view the interactive closure map, located on the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF website before traveling to the national forest. This map shows areas of the national forest that are closed to public use. It is available at tinyurl.com/yb5zs737

Lost Fire:

The Lost Fire has been held at 80 acres. Containment lines are complete. The fire will continue to be monitored by air using Distributed Real-Time Infrared (DRTI) and air attack aircraft.

Bannock Lakes Fire:

Burning in a remote section of the Glacier Peaks Wilderness, the Bannock Lakes Fire is now 489 acres in size. The fire is burning among large rocky outcroppings and isolated clusters of timber in steep, inaccessible terrain. It is being monitored by air and satellite. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) is closed from Suiattle Pass to High Bridge. The PCT detour is from Suiattle Pass to Stehekin. More information is available at www.pcta.org.

Weather and Fire Behavior:

A high pressure will promote a dry warming trend Friday through Sunday. Afternoon humidity values are expected to drop below 30 percent and overnight humidity recovery will be fair to poor. Winds will continue to be out of the west and southwest on ridgetops and west to northwest through drainages with afternoon gusts of 15 to 25 mph. A cold front is expected to pass through the region late Sunday into Monday bringing gusty winds and some cooling. High temperatures on Friday are expected to be 76-80 degrees at 1500 feet elevation, and 58-62 degrees at 5000 feet.

Traffic Safety:

Fire equipment will be on the roads in and around the fire area. These vehicles may stop in unexpected locations. Please use caution when fire apparatus are present, the operator may not see you in his or her mirrors.

Cougar Creek Fire Evacuation Levels

Plain Area:

Effective Monday (08/27/2018) at 9:00am, the Level 2 evacuation status for all of the Chiwawa Loop Road area (including Shugart Flats and Chiwawa River Pines communities) has been lowered to a Level 1 “fire advisory” status. Areas in Plain and Lake Wenatchee which had been at a Level 1 status, are no longer be under any evacuation notification.

Entiat Area:

That portion of the Mad River Road below the fire area, to the Entiat River Road, and the Entiat River Road from the intersection of the Mad River Road, north to Mile Marker 16.5 is no longer under an evacuation order. The Entiat River Road from Mile Marker 16.5, north to its end is now under a Level 1 Evacuation Alert. The 25 mile per hour speed restriction has been rescinded. For more information, call the Chelan County Emergency Management at 509-667-6863, or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CCSOEM. An American Red Cross shelter, at 14916 US 97A in Entiat, is on standby. The Red Cross can be contacted at 509-663-3907.

Smoke:

Air quality has been substantially better for the last 72 hours as winds pushed smoke out of the area. However, multiple fires continue to burn across the region and smoke should be expected to return. Individuals with compromised respiratory systems are encouraged to acquire N95 masks. These masks are being provided free of charge, by the Chelan County Sheriff's Office and are available at local fire stations. For more information on smoke and public health, visit: www.wasmoke.blogspot.com or https://bit.ly/2J22754 (Spanish).

U.S. Forest Service Closure Orders:

The Cougar Creek Fire Area closure remains in effect. However, the entire length of the Entiat River Road is now open to the public as well as all campgrounds within the Entiat River Valley. The Shady Pass Road #5900 is also now open.

Area businesses are open. Please consider showing your support by shopping in the local community.

Incident Management Team:

Northwest Team 10 (Type 2) continues to work closely with cooperators from the US Forest Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Entiat Rural Fire District 8, Chelan County Fire District 3, Peshastin Rural District 6, Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Chelan County Department of Emergency Management, Chelan County Public Utility Dept., Washington Department of Transportation, American Red Cross, Chelan Public Schools, and Chelan Public Works. 19 Firefighters from Australia are supporting.

Fire Information:

Phone: 509-664-9210 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Email: cougarcreekfireinfo2018@gmail.com

Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6053

Facebook: facebook.com/CougarCreekFire #WaWildfire #CougarCreekFire

Interactive Evacuation Map: https://bit.ly/2MnFB9j

8/31/2018 OR/WA Current Large Fire Map

8/31/2018 Klondike and Taylor Creek Fire Update

August 31, 2018 Update Crescent Mountain, McLeod, Holman Fires

CRESCENT MOUNTAIN FIRE

Harts Pass Road reopens at Holman Fire

August 31, 2018

Crescent Mountain Fire: 44,450 acres; 35 percent contained

● Personnel: 625

● Point of Origin: Approximately 21 miles west of Twisp

● Start Date: July 29, 2018

● Cause: Lightning

McLeod Fire: 22,511 acres; 35 percent contained

● Personnel: 458

● Point of Origin: Approximately eight miles north of Mazama

● Start Date: August 11, 2018

● Cause: Lightning

Holman Fire: 297 acres, no containment

● Point of Origin: Holman Peak

● Start Date: August 17, 2018

● Cause: Unknown

Crescent Mountain Fire: Late in the afternoon on Thursday, increased winds and lower humidity levels caused the fire to grow in the Buttermilk Butte area, crossing into the East Fork of Buttermilk Creek near Mission Peak. Crews will be working today to assess and respond to the fire this morning. Fire growth also occurred in the triangle near Kenny Dip, at Scaffold Ridge and West Buttermilk Road. Crews continued to hold and mop-up in the Twisp River corridor. A hotshot crew worked with air operations to cool and hold the fire in the Slate Dip area. Structural assessment teams will continue their work in the Libby Creek area communities today.

McLeod Fire: Crews neared completion of the tactical firing operation tying the fire into the old Diamond Fire burn scar on the north end of 8 mile Road. This work should be completed today. Strategic firing will be used today to complete the protection of Honeymoon and Ruffed Grouse campgrounds. Assessments will be made today of the heat that continues to be an issue on the southwest edge of the fire in the Yellow Jacket Creek area.

Holman Fire: The fire is still actively burning in the Pasayten Wilderness. The Harts Pass road is now open, although there are several trails in the areas that remain closed, including a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Evacuations: Crescent Mountain Fire: A Level 3 (GO now) evacuation is in effect for all persons living west of the Little Bridge Creek intersection in the Twisp River Valley. A Level 2 (get SET) evacuation is in effect for persons living west of Newby Creek Road to Little Bridge Creek Road in the Twisp River Valley. Alerts have been issued for Poorman and Libby Creek. The Red Cross has a shelter available at the Methow Valley Community Center in Twisp. No evacuations are in effect for the McLeod or Holman Fires.

Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and North Cascades National Park have issued trail and area closures orders in the vicinity of all three fires. Maps and information on the closures can be found on InciWeb. Temporary flight restriction information is available at the Federal Aviation Administration’s website.

Smoke/Weather:

Slight warming and drying is expected over the fires. Temperatures will climb with slightly lower relative humidity. Winds will continue out of the west to northwest during most of the day on the ridges with gusts to 15 mph expected in the afternoon and evening. The Washington Smoke Information’s webpage has information on smoke and public health. Smoke information in Spanish can be found on the WA Dept. of Health’s website.

Area businesses are open. Please consider showing your support by shopping in the local community.

Inciweb: Crescent Mountain: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6093/

McLeod: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6130/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrescentMTNFire/

Fire Information Center: (480) 744-9318

Email: gilbertfireinfo2018@gmail.com

8/31/2018 Natchez Fire Update

8-31-2018 Watson Creek Update

8/31/2018 Ramsey Canyon Update (Final)

8/31/2018 NWCC Morning Brief

Morning Brief

Date/Time Stamp: Friday, Aug 31, 2018, 06:52

Northwest Activity Summary

Seasonal temperatures and above average humidities yesterday contributed to minimal growth on existing incidents and light initial attack. Scattered light precipitation fell across portions of Western Washington and Western Oregon. No new lightning strikes were recorded.

Preparedness LevelsNorthwest PL

Current	3-Day	10-Day	30-Day
4 (8/30)	4	3	1

National PL

4 (8/31)

Northwest Incident Activity
New Fires and Acres9 fires for 24 acres
OR: 1 fire for 1 acre
WA: 8 fires for 23 acres

Large Fire Summary
New large incidents: 0
Reported incidents: 14 (OR: 8 WA: 6)
4,453 acres growth on existing incidents

Northwest IMT Activity

NIMOs Committed: 0
Type 1 IMTs committed: 2
Type 2 IMTs committed: 5
National Fire Activity
Initial attack activity: Light (57) new fires
New large incidents: 3

Large fires contained: 11

Uncontained large fires: 34

National IMT ActivityArea Command Teams: 0
NIMOs committed: 1
Type 1 IMTs committed: 10
Type 2 IMTs committed: 12

*Nationally, there are 62 large fires being managed under a strategy other than Full Suppression

Northwest Current Incident Details

Incidents listed below meet large fire criteria and/or incidents with a Type 1 or 2 IMT assigned. Large incidents are defined as fires which are 100+ acres in timber or 300+ acres in grass/brush. For additional information on incidents no longer listed below please refer to the NW Large Incident Summary or Northwest Fires Utilizing Monitor, Confine, Point Zone Protection Suppression Strategies (YTD)

Incidents not Previously Reported: 0

Incidents Previously Reported: 14

Crescent Mtn. WA-OWF-000428. IMT1, NR Team (Turman).16 mi W of Winthrop WA. Start 7/29. Monitor/Confine/Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 44,450 acres (+734). 35% containment. Active fire behavior. Timber. Evacuations in effect. Structures, T&E species habitat and timber threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

Klondike. OR-RSF-000354. IMT2, NW Team 12 (Harrod). Klondike East. IMT1, SA Team (Dueitt). Klondike West. 9 mi NW of Selma, OR. Start 7/15. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 102,168 (+1,172). 40% containment. Active fire behavior. Timber and brush. Fire now well established on west side of the Illinois River. Structures, private inholdings and Redwood Hwy 199 corridor threatened. Evacuations in effect. Area restrictions in effect. Road, trail and area closures.

Terwilliger. OR-WIF-180227. IMT2, NR Team (Connell). 5 mi SE of Blue River, OR. Start 08/19. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 7,572 acres (+706). 17% containment. Active fire behavior. Timber. Structures, timber and recreational sites threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

Natchez. OR-RSF-000348. IMT2, NW Team 13 (Gales). 8 mi NW of Happy Camp, CA. Start 7/15. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 26,702 acres (+475). 70% containment. Moderate fire behavior. Timber and brush. Burnout ops progressing. Evacuations notices. Steep terrain. Structures, infrastructure and timber threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

McLeod. WA-OWF-000522. IMT1, NR Team (Turman). 6 mi N of Mazama, WA. Start 8/11. Monitor/Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 22,511 acres (+0). 35% containment. Active fire behavior. Timber. Structures, natural resources and T&E species threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

Cougar Creek. WA-OWF-000419. IMT2, NW Team 10 (Lawson). 12 mi NW of Ardenvoir, WA. Start 7/28. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 41,704 acres (+274). 50% containment. Active fire behavior. Slash and brush. Evacuation notices. Structures, cultural resources, timber, infrastructure and recreation threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

Watson Creek. OR-FWF-000360. IMT2, NW Team 6 (Sheldon). 13 mi W of Paisley, OR. Start 08/15. Full Suppression. Cause: Human. 58,218 acres (+847). 80% containment. Moderate fire behavior. Timber. Evacuation notices. Structures, campgrounds and T&E species habitat threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

Taylor Creek. OR-MED-000395. IMT2, NW Team 12 (Harrod).10 mi W of Grants Pass, OR. Start 7/15. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 52,839 acres (+0). 95% containment. Minimal fire behavior. Timber and brush. Evacuation notices. Steep terrain. Road, trail and area closures.

Boyds. WA-NES-001909. IMT3. 3 mi W of Kettle Falls, WA. Start 08/11. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 4,712 acres (+0). 94% containment. Minimal fire behavior. Timber and grass. Mop-up progressing. Communication infrastructure, forest and grazing lands threatened.

Horns Mountain. WA-COF-001904. IMT3. 12 mi NW of Northport, WA. Start 08/11. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 5,583 acres (+0). 93% containment. Minimal fire behavior. Brush and Timber. Mop-up progressing. Area closure in effect.

Miriam. WA-OWF-000443. IMT3. 2 mi SE of White Pass, WA. Start 7/30. Monitor/Confine/Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 4,584 acres (+245). 60% containment. Moderate fire behavior. Timber. Steep terrain. Evacuations in effect. Structures, White Pass Ski Resort and T&E species habitat threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

Miles. OR-UPF-000246. IMT3. 7 mi NE of Trail, OR. Start 7/16. Full Suppression. Cause: Lightning. 35,770 acres (+0). 56% containment. Active backing fire behavior with isolated torching. Timber. Evacuation notices. Structures, commercial timber, power line infrastructure and T&E habitat threatened. Road, trail and area closures.

Columbus. OR-UPF-000237. IMT3. 18 mi NE of Trail, OR. Start 7/15. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 10,226 acres (+0). 56% containment. Active backing fire behavior with isolated torching. Timber. T&E species habitat, timber, recreation, cultural and natural resources threatened. Steep terrain. Road, area, and trail closures.

Ramsey Canyon. OR-711S-032519. ICT3. 12 mi N of Eagle Point. Start 8/22. Full Suppression. Cause: Human. 1,971 acres (+0). 95% containment. Minimal fire behavior. Mop-up progressing. Structures, timber and T&E species habitat threatened. Evacuations notices. Last report on morning briefing unless significant activity occurs.

Northwest Fire Weather Summary

Expect a slow warming and drying trend into the Labor Day weekend with decreasing general winds over most of the geographic area except sections of extreme Southwest Oregon. The atmosphere is stable with no risk of thunderstorms. No critical fire weather patterns appear likely.

Northwest Fire Potential Summary

Fire danger has moderated but remains above average in some areas. Nevertheless, without critical weather patterns and sufficient ignitions, the potential for new large fires on the landscape is limited through Labor Day.

More info, see NW 7-Day Significant Fire Potential Forecast, and National 7-Day Significant Fire Potential Forecast

National Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR): https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf

Other GACC Morning Reports: