Wildfire News Thread, 7/26/06

Haines Index Map - Higher Haines means fire growth tends to be stronger:

Haiines index

Fuel Dryness: Tells you how likely things are to burn if a fire gets started:

ten hour fuels

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2006 – 0530 MDT
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL 4

CURRENT SITUATION:

Initial attack activity was heavy nationally with 441 new fires reported. Twenty-two new large fires (*) were reported, five in the Western Great Basin Area, four each in the Eastern Great Basin and Southern Areas, three each in the Southern California and Northern California Areas, and one in the Northern Rockies Area.   Fifteen large fires were contained, five in the Southern California Area, three each in the Western Great Basin and Southern Areas, and one each in the Northern California, Northwest, Southwest and Rocky Mountain Areas. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Oregon, California, Montana, North Dakota, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Two MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, North Carolina have been deployed to Klamath Falls, Oregon. Major Dan Cloninger, NCANG is the Mission Commander.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

HORSE, Cleveland National Forest. A unified command is in place between a Type 2 Incident Management Team (Garwood) and the California Division of Forestry and Fire Protection (Henson). A Type 1 Incident Management Team (Wilcock) will assume command. This fire is five miles south of Alpine, CA in chaparral. Several communities are threatened and voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect. Heavy fuel loading and inaccessible terrain are hampering containment efforts. Extreme fire behavior with significant runs was reported.

MT. PINOS LIGHTNING COMPLEX, Los Padres National Forest. A Type 1 Incident Management Team (Feser) is assigned. This complex consists of the previously reported Scott fire, and the Ridge, Boy and Wood incidents, and 20 additional lightning fires. This Complex is two miles north of Frazier Park, CA in timber and brush. The communities of Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods, Pine Mountain Club, Lebec and a 500 kilovolt line supplying the Los Angeles Basin are threatened. Evacuation of the Frazier Park community is in progress. Steep terrain and heavy fuel loading are hindering containment efforts. Active fire behavior with spotting was reported.

RICO, San Benito-Monterey Unit, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This fire is nine miles east of San Ardo, CA in chaparral with scattered oak. Numerous homes and ranches are threatened. Short isolated runs were reported.

SAN RAFAEL COMPLEX, Los Padres National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Kaage) is assigned. This Complex, consisting of the previously reported Bald fire, and three other fires in the San Rafael Wilderness, is 20 miles west of Cuyama, CA in chaparral. Cultural resources and endangered aquatic species are threatened. Steep slopes are hindering containment efforts. Increased fire activity was reported.

CALICO, Death Valley National Park. This fire is 15 miles west of Shoshone, CA in chaparral. Desert tortoise habitat and cultural resources are threatened. The fire is currently being monitored.

COYOTE COMPLEX, Riverside Unit, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This fire is near Anza, CA in chaparral. Difficult access and extreme terrain are hampering containment efforts. No further information was received.

HEART-MILLARD, San Bernardino National Forest. This fire is eight miles southeast of Big Bear Lake, CA in timber and brush. Poor access and steep terrain are hampering containment efforts.   A temporary closure of the San Gorgonio Wilderness is in effect.

NORTHWEST AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

FOSTER GULCH COMPLEX, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. A Type 1 Incident Management Team (Anderson) is assigned. This Complex, consisting of the previously reported McClean Creek and the Foster Gulch fires, is six miles southeast of Halfway, OR in grass and brush. Numerous residences and outbuildings are threatened. Extreme fire behavior with long range spotting was reported.

TRIPOD, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. A Washington Interagency Type 2 Incident Management Team (LaFave) is assigned This fire is ten miles northeast of Winthrop, WA in timber. Timber resources and wildlife habitat are threatened. Rugged terrain and heavy amounts of dead and down fuel are hindering containment efforts. Active fire behavior with torching and spotting was reported.

geneva #3, Ochoco National Forest. This fire is three miles northwest of River Ranch, OR in grass and brush. Cultural resources and fisheries habitat are threatened. Short range spotting was reported.

BLACK CRATER, Deschutes National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (West) is assigned. This fire is seven miles southwest of Sisters, OR in white fire and lodgepole pine. Campgrounds and trails in the fire area and Highway 242 are closed. Timber, spotted owl habitat, campgrounds and a historic lookout are threatened. Running crown fire and torching were observed.

HAPPY VALLEY, Vale District, Bureau of Land Management.   A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Paul) is assigned. This fire is six miles northwest of Rome, OR in grass and brush. A residence and outbuildings are threatened, as well as a study area and the Owhyee Canyon Wild and Scenic River Corridor. Substantial burning of interior islands was reported.

MAXWELL, Ochoco National Forest. A Washington Interagency Incident Management Team (Reed) is assigned. This fire is six miles south of Mitchell, OR in dead and down timber. Steep terrain is hampering containment efforts. Communications equipment and a lookout tower are threatened. Isolated group torching and some spotting were observed.

BLACKROCK, Burns District, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 20 miles northeast of Burns, OR in juniper, sagebrush and grass. Residences and historically significant structures are threatened. Active fire behavior with running, spotting, and rapid spread were reported.

TIN PAN, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. A transfer of command has occurred from a Fire Use Management Team (Furlong) back to the local unit. This lightning-caused Wildland Fire Use (WFU) incident is being managed to accomplish resource objectives. The fire is seven miles west of Lucerne, WA in timber. Wind-driven fire behavior with backing, torching and crowning and spotting up to one mile in front of the fire was observed. This will be the last narrative report unless significant activity occurs.

WESTERN GREAT BASIN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

NEW YORK PEAK, Winnemucca Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Thomas) is assigned. The Team is also managing the Trident fire. This fire is 80 miles northwest of Winnemucca, NV in sagebrush, grass and mahogany. Several residences and wildlife habitat are threatened. Lack of access is hampering containment efforts. Running and spotting was observed.

TRIDENT, Winnemucca Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 74 miles northwest of Winnemucca, NV in grass, sagebrush and mahogany. Wildlife habitat is being threatened. Limited access is hampering containment efforts. Smoldering fire activity was observed.

HAMBLY, Ely District, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 13 miles northeast of Hiko, NV in pinyon pine and sagebrush. The town of Hiko is threatened. Steep, rocky terrain is impeding containment efforts. Passing thunderstorms contributed to moderate fire behavior.

RANGE, Ely Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 16 miles southeast of Hiko, NV in sagebrush and grass. Grazing land is threatened. Steep, rocky terrain is hampering containment efforts. Running and torching was reported.

VIRGIN GOLD COMPLEX, Las Vegas Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 15 miles east of Mesquite, NV in grass and brush.   The Virgin Repeater site is threatened. Active fire with running and spotting was observed.

WINTERS, Winnemucca Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 50 miles northeast of Winnemucca, NV in sagebrush and grass. The community of Midas, a gold mine and a ranch are threatened. Lack of road access is hampering containment efforts. Running fire was reported.

PICINIC, Las Vegas Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is four miles northwest of Mountain Springs, NV in grass, pinyon pine and juniper. The community of Mountain Springs is threatened and several roads in the area are closed. Passing thunderstorms contributed to extreme fire behavior

WHITNEY PASS, Las Vegas Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 20 miles southwest of Mesquite, NV in grass and brush. Several residences are threatened. Rocky terrain and erratic winds are hampering containment efforts. Active fire behavior was observed.

MARBLE, Nevada Division of Forestry, Northern Region. This fire is 20 miles west of Wells, NV in grass and sagebrush. Erratic winds caused by passing thunderstorms caused spotting outside the lines.

9 MILE, Elko District, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 30 miles southeast of Wells, NV in grass, sagebrush pinyon pine. Steep, rugged terrain continues to hinder containment efforts. Isolated torching was observed.

SPRINGER, Ely District, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is five miles northwest of Hiko, NV in pinyon pine, sagebrush and grass. Archeological sites and rangeland remain threatened. Fire activity included uphill runs.

TROY PEAK, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. This fire is eight miles north of Adaven, NV in timber. Backing fire and smoldering were reported. The fire is being monitored from the air. No further information was received.

HALL, Battle Mountain Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 25 miles southeast of Battle Mountain, NV in sagebrush, grass, pinyon pine and juniper. No new information was reported. This will be the last report unless new information is received.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

SHF LIGHTNING COMPLEX, Shasta-Trinity National Forest. This complex, comprised of several lightning-caused fires, is located near Weaverville, CA in timber and grass. A campground, trailhead and powerlines are threatened. Difficult access is hampering containment efforts. Active fire behavior with some torching was observed.

UNCLES, Klamath National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Sinclear) is assigned. This fire is 18 miles east northeast of Orleans, CA in brush and old growth forest. Wildlife habitat is being threatened. Steep terrain and poor access are hampering containment efforts.

HAPPY camp COMPLEX, Klamath National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Bradley) is assigned. This complex, comprised of 13 lightning-caused fires, is near Happy Camp, CA in grass and timber. The fires are burning in roadless areas and poor access is hampering containment efforts. Three of the thirteen fires grew in acreage.

HUNTER, Mendocino National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Philbin) is assigned. This fire is 19 miles southeast of Covelo, CA in timber. Spotted Owl habitat and the Grizzly Flat Forest Service Station are threatened. Difficult terrain is hindering containment efforts. Moderate to rapid rates of spread with torching and spotting were reported.

CARIBOU COMPLEX, Klamath National Forest. A Wildland Fire Use Management Team (Perkins) is assigned. This lightning-caused Wildland Fire Use (WFU) incident is being managed to accomplish resource objectives. The fire is 10 miles southeast of Cecilville, CA in timber. This complex consists of the Caribou and Moraine fires. A trail closure is in effect for the Caribou Lakes area. Rain showers over the past few days have moderated fire activity.

EASTERN GREAT BASIN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

POCKET COMPLEX, Arizona Strip Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Saleen) has been ordered. This complex, comprised of the previously reported Paiute Fort fire, and the Summit, Cottonwood and Cottonwood 2 fires, is 30 miles south of St. George, UT in grass and brush. Communications towers are threatened. Extreme fire behavior with rapid rates of spread was observed.

REILLY, Southern Paiute Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs. This fire is 10 miles northwest of Ivins, UT in grass, brush, pinyon pine and juniper. Running and torching were observed. No further information was received.

SUNSET CANYON, Fish Lake National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Lund) is assigned. This fire is five miles southeast of Meadow, UT in grass, pinyon pine, oak brush and timber. The community of Meadow and communications towers remain threatened. Steep terrain, heavy fuel loading and inaccessibility are hindering containment efforts. Moderate fire behavior with isolated single and group torching was reported.

ARCO, Idaho Falls District, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is seven miles north of Arco, ID in timber and timber understory. Big horn sheep habitat and the Natural Arch trail are threatened. Steep, inaccessible terrain is hampering containment efforts. Isolated torching, creeping and smoldering were observed.   Some precipitation occurred on the incident.

EAST ANT, Boise District, Bureau of Land Management. This fire started on private land nine miles southeast of Midvale, ID in grass and brush. Several structures are threatened. Running and numerous slopovers were reported.

TRAILHEAD, Sawtooth National Forest. This fire is ten miles southwest of Stanley, ID in timber. The fire is burning on the western edge of the Sawtooth Wilderness and National Recreation Area. Steep, rugged terrain continues to impede containment efforts. Minimal fire activity consisting of isolated torching, creeping and smoldering was reported.

JACKSON, Southwest Area, Utah Division of Forestry Fire & State Lands. This fire is 20 miles northwest of St. George, UT in grass and Joshua trees. Moderate fire behavior was reported. No further information was received.

QUARTZ CREEK, Payette National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Haskins/Johnson) is assigned. This fire is five miles north of Yellowpine, ID in timber. Critical fisheries habitat remains threatened. Steep, rugged terrain continues to hinder containment efforts. Individual tree torching and spotting were reported.

ELKHORN, Salmon-Challis National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Lunde) is assigned. This fire is six miles northeast of North Fork, ID in timber. Steep terrain continues to hinder containment efforts. Minimal fire behavior with burning limited to small pockets of fuel in the interior was reported. Burn out operations were completed to reinforce control lines.

DUNCE, Payette National Forest. A Fire Use Management Team (Hahnenberg) is assigned. The Team is also managing the Lick Creek WFU. This lightning-caused Wildland Fire Use (WFU) incident is being managed to accomplish resource objectives. The fire is 31 miles east of Edwardsburg, ID in cheatgrass. Structure protection measures are in place for the Cabin Creek drainage. Active fire behavior in Cougar Creek drainage was observed.

LICK CREEK, Payette National Forest. This lightning-caused Wildland Fire Use (WFU) incident is being managed to accomplish resource objectives. The fire is 21 miles northwest of McCall, ID in standing and downed timber. Several outbuildings within the Ponderosa Campground are threatened.   Minimal fire behavior was reported.

JIM CREEK, Bridger Teton National Forest. A Fire Use Management Team (Weldon) is assigned. This lightning-caused Wildland Fire Use (WFU) incident is being managed to accomplish resource objectives. The fire is 24 miles north of Pinedale, WY in subalpine fir, spruce and pine. Individual and group tree torching, and eight foot flame lengths were observed.

NORTHERN ROCKIES AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

GASH CREEK, Bitterroot National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Turman) has been ordered. The fire is six miles south of Victor, MT in timber. Several year-round residences are threatened and population protection plans are in place. Extreme fire behavior consisting of torching, running and wind-driven spotting were reported.

PACKER GULCH, Southwestern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Kusicko) is assigned. This fire is 11 miles northwest of Drummond, MT in timber and grass. Residences continue to be threatened. Rugged terrain and difficult access are hampering containment efforts. Fire activity was limited to interior smoking and burning of green islands within the perimeter

SOUTH PINE, Gallatin National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Hall) is assigned. The fire is 13 miles south of Livingston, MT in timber. Trail bridges, campgrounds and a church camp remain threatened. Steep, rugged terrain continues to impede containment efforts. Fire activity was limited to creeping and smoldering.

JUNIPER, Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation. This fire is ten miles south of Roundup, MT in grass, sagebrush and logging slash. Fire behavior included rapid rates of spread due to heavy fuel loading and gusty winds.

SOUTHWEST AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

GRAN, Tonto National Forest. A Type 1 Incident Management Team (Whitney) is assigned. This fire is nine miles northeast of Rio Verde, AZ in grass and chaparral. Remote access and steep terrain are hampering containment efforts. Fire behavior was minimal.

JOES, Phoenix Field Office, Bureau of Land Management. This fire is 40 miles north of Phoenix, AZ in tall grass and brush. Minimal fire activity was observed. The fire is in monitor status. This will be the last report unless significant activity occurs.

TOROWEEP, Grand Canyon National Park. This fire is 57 miles west northwest of Grand Canyon Village, AZ in short grass, pinion pine and juniper. No new information was reported. This will be the last report unless new information is received.

RIM, Tonto National Forest. This fire is 60 miles southeast of Flagstaff, AZ. in timber and grass. Steep terrain and difficult access are slowing containment efforts. Minimal fire activity was observed.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

LITTLE VENUS, Shoshone National Forest. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Smith) is assigned. This fire is 30 miles west of Meeteetse, WY in bug-killed spruce and heavy down fuels. Private land is threatened. Burnout operations are ongoing. Active fire behavior with group torching was observed.

BOMBER BASIN, Shoshone National Forest. This fire is 15 miles south of Dubois, WY in spruce and Douglas fir. No new information was reported. This will be the last report unless new information is received.

EASTERN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

CAVITY LAKE, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest. A Type 1 Incident Management Team (Lohrey) is assigned. This fire is 44 miles northeast of Ely, MN in timber and blowdown. Recreational areas on the eastern and northwestern sides of the fire are being reopened, however the threat to residential and commercial structures remains. Heavy fuel loading and difficult access continue to hinder containment efforts. Fire behavior included smoldering, creeping and occasional torching.

TURTLE LAKE, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest. A Fire Use Management Team (Svalberg) is assigned. This lightning-caused Wildland Fire Use (WFU) incident is being managed to accomplish resource objectives. The fire is 15 miles east of Ely, MN in timber. Cloud cover and higher relative humidity assisted in containment efforts. Moderate fire behavior with single tree torching and a low rate of spread was observed.

SOUTHERN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:

MCKAY, Ouachita National Forest. This is fire is 16 miles north of Broken Bow, OK in hardwood litter. Backing fire with less than two foot flame lengths was observed.

CEDAR CREEK Texas Forest Service. This fire started on private land 14 miles northeast of Bracketville, TX in grass and timber. Drought stressed fuels, heavy loading and steep terrain are hindering containment efforts. Short runs and individual tree torching were reported.

OUTLOOK:

Red Flag: For southeastern Montana due to gusty winds and low relative humidity.

Weather Discussion: Hot weather to continue over most of the West as strong high pressure persists over the region. Scattered thunderstorms will also continue over much of the area
Full NICC Report:
http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.rtf

Incident: Horse Wildfire
Released: 2006-07-26 12:07:00
San Diego, CA, July 26, 2006...The Horse Fire started on the Cleveland National Forest, on Sunday, July 23, 2006 at approximately 5:30 a.m. The fire is burning in Pine Creek and Hauser wilderness areas, is approximately 18 % contained, has grown to over 16,000 acres and is burning in an area that last burned in the Laguna Fire in 1970. Because of the size and complexity of the fire, a Type I National Interagency Team, that works on large incidents across the country is being brought in to manage the incident. The Type I Team was ordered because of the complexity and scope of the Horse Fire, and the number of supression resources assigned to the incident. The fire is close to multiple urban and rural communities, the international border, and tribal lands. In addition, the fire is burning in dense chaparral and in steep, remote terrain. The incoming team will transition with the California Interagency Type II Team that has been managing the fire since Monday, July 24.

National Forest lands south of Interstate 8 are closed to entry for safety reasons. This closure affects the following recreational sites and special designation areas: Pacific Crest Trail from the international border with Mexico north to Interstate 8, Pine Creek Wilderness, Hauser Wilderness, Pine Creek Trailhead, Corral Canyon OHV Area, Bear Valley Road, and Espinoza Trail. Based on the fire investigation, the cause of the fire was an abandoned campfire in a side drainage of Horsethief Canyon.

The San Diego County Sheriff and California Highway Patrol are continuing a mandatory evacuation for the Carveacre community. Over 1,800 homes are threatened as well as over 100 commercial properties. The communities of Skye Ranch, Corte Madera, Japatul Valley Road, Pine Valley, Lake Moreno, Pine Valley, Portrero and Guatay are still threatened and are under a voluntary evacuation order. For more information on the fire, please call 619-590-3160. For more information on the Horse Fire or the Cleveland National Forest please visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland and click on current conditions.

-CNF-

http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/336/774/

Placerville-Based Firefighters Hurt In Nevada Fire

(AP) RENO, Nevada Six firefighters have been injured battling a wildfire northwest of Winnemucca, the Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday.

Three of the six were flown to Humboldt General Hospital in Winnemucca. Two then were flown to the burn center at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Another was treated and released.

The other three firefighters were driven to the hospital in Winnemucca, treated and released after the incident Tuesday afternoon.

All six are members of the Eldorado National Forest hotshot crew based near Placerville.

A federal interagency serious accident investigation team was scheduled to arrive in Winnemucca on Wednesday.

The New York Peak fire has burned some 6,000 acres of brush and trees 65 miles northwest of Winnemucca, one of the largest fires in the state.

Others include the Range fire 16 miles northeast of Hiko at 6,500 acres -- a little over 10 square miles -- at 10 percent containment; the Trident fire nine miles southeast of Denio, which is near containment at 5,507 acres; the Springer fire 25 miles southeast of Battle Mountain, which also is near containment at 4,500 acres and the 4,215-acre Marble fire 20 miles west of Wells, which is 90 percent contained.

In southern Nevada, lightning touched off a few small fires in the Black Mountains south of Henderson, but the thunderstorms helped fire crews gain 40 percent containment of the 1,200-acre Picnic fire near Lovell Canyon in the Rainbow Mountain wilderness.

Closer to town, firefighters were nearing containment of a fire in the Red Rock National Conservation Area. The visitor center and loop road reopened on Wednesday.

Northeast of Las Vegas, a 2,500-acre fire was threatening communication towers on Virgin Peak.

Other large fires in the central and eastern parts of the state include the Hambly fire 13 miles northwest of Hiko was burning at 1,500 acres with no containment; the 2,000-acre Winters fire 50 miles northeast of Winnemucca, with no containment, and the 9 Mile fire 36 miles southwest of Montello, which was 95 percent contained at 1,700 acres.

A 4,000 acre blaze 25 miles southeast of Battle Mountain and a 1,183-acre fire 8 miles north of the ghost town of Adaven southwest of Ely are being monitored, but not actively fought.

As of Monday, wildland fires this season, including prescribed burns, had blackened 309,694 acres in Nevada, equaling nearly 484 square miles, or about the size of Los Angeles.

http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_207151445.html

Incident: Gash Creek Wildfire
Released: 2006-07-26 09:14:00
BITTERROOT NATIONAL FOREST

FIRE FACTS – July 25, 9pm

Contact: Brian Shay, 406-363-7100

Gash Creek Fire - Started 4:30pm, July 24; 6 miles southwest of Victor, MT, in the South Fork of Gash Creek drainage; cause of fire under investigation

2 air tankers and 2 helicopters provided air support today

3 20-person crews, 5 engines, and 3 eight-person hand crews provided ground support today along with a dozer

Type 2 Incident Management team will take command of the fire on Wednesday, July 26

Approximately 200 acres in size

There are some structures in the area but are not immediately threatened and no evacuations have been ordered at this time.

Unexpected winds, high temperatures, and low humidity have hampered containment efforts, and the fire jumped hand line on the north side of the fire late this afternoon. The south and southeast lines have held. The fire is still progressing to the north, northeast, and northwest.

Rural Valley Fire Department Volunteer firefighters and engines are staged in Victor to provide structure protection if the need arises.

Closures - The South Fork Gash Creek area of the Forest has been closed for public safety, which includes all roads and trails in the immediate area

Gibbons Pass Fire – Started by lightning mid afternoon on July 25th, and is located east of Lost Trail Pass; one engine and crew responded to the fire, and the fire has now been turned over to the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest

Bertie Lord Fire – Started by lightning mid afternoon on July 25th, and is located up the East Fork of the Bitterroot; a helicopter with a bucket, an engine and crew, and an 8 person hand crew responded to the fire and controlled the fire at ¼ acre.

Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Fires – Three new lightning started fires were observed in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness and they will be assessed to determine if they can be utilized to meet wilderness resource objectives. All of these fires are less than an acre in size at this time

1. Near Lodgepole Hump on the west side of the West Fork Ranger District, north of Horse Heaven Pass

2. Near Green Mountain, due west of Burnt Strip Mountain;

3. Between Paradise and White Cap Pass, near Cooper Creek.

http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/346/765/

AP) Firefighters tried to make progress against a 25-square-mile wildfire creeping toward rural communities east of San Diego, while a blaze threatening expensive canyon homes in Los Angeles was contained.

Firefighters hoped cooler weather Wednesday would help them combat the blaze, which has burned 16,400 acres over four days through Cleveland National Forest east of San Diego. The blaze was about 15 percent contained, officials said.

The fire triggered an evacuation of the small community of Carveacre, and a half-dozen other little clusters of homes were on notice they might be next. Officials said homes in and around Lake Morena Dam, Pine Valley, Potrero and Guatay remain threatened.
The National Weather Service predicted high temperatures in southern California would dip below triple digits Wednesday for the first time in 10 days. Highs were forecast to be in the low 90s near the San Diego County fire lines.

"We're not out of the woods yet, but some of these communities are in a lot better shape than yesterday," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Stanton Florea said Tuesday.

In Los Angeles, a small blaze caused tense moments at midday Tuesday as it raced among expensive homes in Benedict Canyon above Bel Air Estates and Beverly Hills. One home was damaged.

Firefighters on pool decks and patios hosed down smoking slopes as helicopters made water drops. With little to no wind to fan it, the blaze was fully contained after scorching about 15 acres.

At least five firefighters around the state have suffered heat-related illnesses during the 10-day heat wave, officials said.

"If you get behind on drinking water, you can't catch up," said firefighter Jon Sanchioli, 46. "We had one guy go down yesterday. We know you've got to be careful. If you keep on pushing, your body shuts down."

Elsewhere in California, a blaze ignited by lightning on ranch land east of San Ardo in southeastern Monterey County grew to 13,000 acres, equal to about 20 square miles, and was 66 percent contained.

In counties northwest of Los Angeles, firefighters were battling two major lightning wildfire clusters in Los Padres National Forest. The 2,200-acre San Rafael complex was burning in rugged terrain near Cuyama. On the southern end of the forest, the 2,203-acre Mount Pinos complex was 52 percent contained.

Fire crews in neighboring Arizona virtually contained a wildfire that had threatened to reach two power lines that feed electricity to the Phoenix area. By Monday afternoon, officials declared the fire 95 percent contained, with full containment expected Tuesday morning.

Milder temperatures and increasing humidity were helping fire crews beat back three blazes burning in timber stands along the rugged slopes of the central Idaho mountains.

In Montana, a fire that flared Tuesday near Florence threatened a cluster of homes and destroyed one. Residents were asked to evacuate as the blaze grew to 250 acres, or just more than a third of a square mile, officials said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/26/national/main1836730.shtml

A 350-acre fire sparked east of Florence on Tuesday afternoon, burning down one trailer home, forcing the immediate evacuation at least 25 homes and putting 200 more on alert.

The Woodchuck fire broke out with heavy flames and smoke about one mile east of Woodchuck Pond, just off Eight Mile Creek Road, said Paula Rosenthal, public information officer with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

About 25 to 50 homes in the upper Woodchuck area were put on a mandatory evacuation notice as firefighters from six agencies battled the blaze.
*
Some 200 homes in the Granite Creek area, the next subdivision south of Woodchuck, were also threatened.

No injuries have been reported.

Three helicopters scooped water from the pond, biding time until three airtankers, postponed due to windy conditions, could access the fire. The planes arrived around 7:30 p.m.

The sheriffs departments from Missoula and Ravalli counties were still parsing out duties at 9 p.m., trying to make sense of the multi-jurisdictional fire. The Upper Woodchuck area is considered Missoula County, while Ravalli County claims the Granite Creek and Eight Mile Creek roads.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials said it was almost certainly human caused.

Jamie Kirby, a fire information officer with the DNRC Southwest Land Office, said the fire was torching and crowning. Spot fires were burning as far as one-quarter of a mile away from the main blaze.

“The spots are growing really quickly,” she said. Kirby said the Woodchuck fire had the potential to blow up.

“I would consider this a fire with a lot of capacity,” she said.

Russell Fox, a forestry consultant who lives up Granite Creek, said he had a front-row seat to the fire.

“It's a giant billowing mushroom cloud of gray and black smoke,” he said. “It's clear the fire column is building and standing straight up.

“The wind is what's making me a little nervous,” he added.

There is a red-flag warning for high winds Tuesday evening, with sustained winds at 25 to 30 mph and stronger gusts expected.

“That's going to give firefighters some trouble,” Rosenthal said.

Fox said he first noticed the fire about 5 p.m. on his way home from work, when he said it looked like a “trickle.”

“When I first came home it was little, and I didn't think much about it,” he said. “An hour later it was a towering blob of smoke, so I went up to the neighbor's and got a better look.”

Fox said flame lengths were about 60 to 80 feet high, and climbing with the evening winds. The hillsides and surrounding area are dry tinder.

“It's as dry as it was in 2000,” he said, “if not drier.”

Fox and his wife, Shelagh, are concerned and prepared to evacuate in a hurry, if need be. Their horse trailer is ready to haul out their four horses, three dogs and a cat.

They have made their home as fire-wise as possible, keeping their lawn mowed and watered.

“I understand why there are hurricane parties now,” he said. “You have to wait and see what it's going to do.”

About 10 homes in the Upper Woodchuck area faced the gravest danger Tuesday night, and those homeowners gathered late into the evening, their attitudes growing increasingly defiant. They waited at the staging area for police escorts to their homes, where they were permitted to retrieve pets and personal affects in an orderly manner.

Price Warford was still in his Upper Woodchuck home when he looked out the window and saw the fire below him. Warford said he didn't waste a lot of time before getting out of there.

“That whole hillside was on fire when we were coming out. It was just boiling up above me, and I kept thinking, ‘Please don't jump the road, please don't jump the road,' ” he said. “Now I'm thinking I'm just going to make a run for it.”

Another woman conceded.

“We're going to go lock up and grab some underwear,” she said.

One man remained in his house, refusing to leave, even as the fire passed right by him.

And while authorities discourage that sort of behavior, Missoula County Undersheriff Mike Dominick said there's not much that can be done.

“We're not going to arrest anyone,” Dominick said. “One guy refused to leave. We understand people wanting to protect their homes and property. But it's just not worth it when the fire is out of control. A garden hose isn't going to help them. It's an act of God.”

There have been six other fire starts in the Missoula area since Monday afternoon, five of which ignited Tuesday.

The 200-acre Gash Creek fire, six miles southwest of Victor in the South Fork of Gash Creek drainage, began at about 4:30 p.m. Monday. Two airtankers and two helicopters provided support Monday as three 20-person crews, five engines and three eight-person hand crews provided ground support. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Gibbons Pass fire started by lightning strike Tuesday afternoon. It is burning east of Lost Trail Pass. The fire has been turned over to the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest.

Lightning sparked the Bertie Lord fire up the East Fork of the Bitterroot. A small crew responded and controlled the one-quarter-acre fire.

Three smaller fires also ignited by lightning strikes in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness - near Lodgepole Hump on the west side of the West Fork Ranger District; near Green Mountain, due west of Burnt Strip Mountain; and between Paradise and White Cap Pass, near Cooper Creek. All three were less than one-quarter acre.

Mop-up duty continued on the 3,050-acre Packer Gulch fire, burning 35 miles east of Missoula, and the Kim Williams No. 2 fire five miles east of Missoula. Crews had the fires 80 percent contained.

Missoulian reporter Betsy Cohen and city editor John Doran contributed to this report

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/26/news/mtregional/news02.txt

Woodchuck Wildland Fire

Incident Contact: Jamie Kirby (406) 396-4130

Summary

This wildland fire is burning approximately one mile east of Woodchuck Pond near Florence, Montana.
Basic Information
Updated 2006-07-26 15:45:43 EST
Incident Type Wildland Fire
Benefits & Objectives
Structure protection efforts are underway for approximately 24 structures, and and evacuation order has been requested for approximately 12 residences in the Upper Woodchuck area. Addtionally, residents on the 8-mile and Granite Creek road are on evacuation standby.
Cause Unknown
Date of Origin 07/25/2006 at 1810 hrs.
Location 1 mile east of Woodchuck Pond.

Incident Commander Ken Parks
Current Situation
Size 500 acres
Percent Contained
Estimated Containment Date
Total Personnel 40
Fuels Involved grass & timber.
Fire Behavior crowning, torching, spotting
Today's Significant Events
Outlook
Estimated Date of Control
Planned Actions Structure Protection Measures are underway in the Upper Woodchuck Area.
Projected Movement
Growth Potential
Terrain Difficulty Extreme.
Containment Target
Remarks 9 Type 6 Engines, 2 Type 3 Engines, 2 Water Tenders, 4 Dozers are currently working the fire, with 3 helicopters for air support and 3 20-person crews ordered.

http://inciweb.org/incident/351/

Incident Contact: Tripod Fire Base Camp (509) 997-0389

Smoke column from the Tripod Fire late Tuesday, July 25, 2006. View from the Methow Valley Ranger District office.

Credit: Bill Moody

click to enlarge

Summary

Contact Information:

Tripod Fire Base Camp Information office is staffed from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.: 509-997-0389

The 3,500 acre Tripod Fire continues to burn in heavy dead-down and standing dead fir, spruce and lodgepole pine on steep terrain approximately 6 miles northeast of Winthrop, Washington.

The fire grew approximately 3,000 acres late yesterday afternoon, advancing to the northeast approximately 3 miles. A large smoke column was visable from a great distance. Heavy fuels, steep terrain, and hot dry weather attributed to the growth.

There is a high potential for fire growth, and similar fire behavior is expected today. The fire is burning entirely on the National Forest. No structures are threatened.

Crews will be working the west flank of the fire building fire trail. Crews will also be working well out ahead of the fire to the northeast trying to establish control lines there. Direct attack on the head of the fire cannot be done safely.

More crews are expected to arrive at base camp, which is set up at Eightmile camp north of Winthrop.

The fire is in sections 25, 26 and 35 of Township 35 N., Range 22 E between Blue Buck Mountain and Tripod Peak.

Weather: Continued hot and dry. Max temp on the fire 85, humidity 15%. Winds from the west 6-10.

Campfire Closure:

Effective Friday, July 28, 2006 campfires on the Tonasket and Methow Ranger Districts will only be allowed in designated campgrounds, wilderness areas, and summer home sites under special use permit.

The following roads are closed:

Volstead Road/Blue Buck Creek Road

Pearrygin Creek Road #300

Bear Creek Road #100

Cougar Creek Road #200

The following trail is closed:

Lightning Creek Trail #421

Basic Information

Updated	2006-07-26 14:44:38 EST
Incident Type	Fire
Benefits & Objectives	To put crews into the west flank of the fire to construct fireline and secure anchor points. Crews will also be scouting well ahead of the northeast flank to identify points for establishing control lines.
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	07/24/2006 at 1400 hrs.
Location	6 miles northeast of Winthrop,WA
Incident Commander	Dave Lafave

Current Situation

Size	3,500 acres
Percent Contained
Estimated Containment Date
Total Personnel	200
Fuels Involved	Heavy dead-down and standing-dead fuels (lodgepole pine and insect killed spruce)
Fire Behavior	Active fire spread in the afternoon is expected.
Today's Significant Events

Outlook

Estimated Date of Control
Planned Actions
Projected Movement
Growth Potential
Terrain Difficulty	Steep
Containment Target
Remarks	Due to major fire activity in the western United States, fire resources are limited.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	6-10 mph E
Current Temperature	85 degrees
Current Humidity	29 %
Forecasted Wind Conditions	6-10 mph NE
Forecasted Temperature	95 degrees
Forecasted Humidity	15-25 %


Date	Time	Center	Remarks
7/26	1208	LIC	Ordering heavy air tanker for the Appaloosa Fire which is currently threatening structures.
7/26	1206	CNC	Winters Fire is experiencing extreme fire behavior. 3 AT and LEAD ordered.
7/26	1205	ECC	Hambly Fire is reported at 27000 acres. Range Fire 15000 with 5 miles of open line on the south.
7/26	1200	CNC	Mobilizing Suwyn’s Type 2 IMT for the Winter Fire (Elko BLM). The fire is in Winnemucca’s response area and will be managed by CNC.
7/26	0820	LIC	J-25 is enroute to the Black Mountain Fire. J-66 enroute to the Appaloosa Fire near Trout Canyon.
7/26	0800	WBC	Red Flag Warning for northeast and north central Nevada for dry lightning http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/lkn/prodreq.php?pil=FWF&sid=LKN

http://gacc.nifc.gov/wgbc/information/newsandnotes.htm

Oregon

By JAYSON JACOBY

jjacoby@bakercityherald.com

Robin Bobier watched the flames slink down the dry brown hillside toward her home at Oxbow, but still she felt safe.

"We had so much manpower here that we knew nothing would happen," Bobier said this morning, one day after the McLain Creek fire blackened the slope that rises above Oxbow Village, on the banks of the Snake River about 70 miles east of Baker City.

Bobier said she, along with most of her 50 or so neighbors, stayed at home rather than evacuate when the fire bore down on Oxbow Tuesday.

"I just flat wasn't going to leave," Bobier said. "I didn't feel there was a need."

As of this morning neither the 5,000-acre McLain Creek fire nor its neighbor to the southwest, the 10,000-acre Foster Gulch fire, had burned any homes or other structures, said Angelica Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

A lightning storm ignited both blazes Sunday night.

About 500 firefighters are battling the two fires, which are separated by several miles but are being managed together as the Foster Complex. The team of fire managers that's overseeing the firefighting effort has set up a base camp at the fairgrounds in Halfway.

Crews, who have 52 water trucks at their disposal, are concentrating on protecting homes and other structures, Johnson said.

Although the flames spared Oxbow on Tuesday, the situation in some other places remains potentially perilous.

Today officials recommended people evacuate the Homestead area, just north of Oxbow along the Oregon shore of Hells Canyon Reservoir.

A Red Cross shelter was established at Pine-Eagle High School in Halfway Tuesday night to house anyone who needed a place to stay, Baker County Sheriff Mitch Southwick said. The shelter was staffed, but had not been used this morning, he said.

"When people evacuate they can go where they want" he said. "Since we're asking them to leave, the county did provide a place for them to go."

The high school site could accommodate about 200 people, Southwick estimated. Thirty to 40 bicyclists traveling through the area also were staying at the school Tuesday night.

Idaho Power Co. has closed two of its campgrounds in the area: Copperfield, which is at Oxbow; and Hells Canyon, which is on the Idaho shore of Hells Canyon Reservoir about seven miles north of Oxbow.

And Highway 86 is closed, except to local traffic, from near the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road intersection east to Oxbow (the Loop Road remains open).

Signs notifying travelers of the limited access are posted along the highway beginning at Halfway.

Bobier, whose husband, Ric, is the regional manager at Oxbow for Idaho Power Co., which owns the nearby Oxbow Dam, said she was comforted Tuesday by the impressive firefighting arsenal that was deployed around the village, where Idaho Power employees and their families live.

"Those fire people who are in here know their business," Robin Bobier said. "I knew that we were perfectly safe."

Airplanes spewed blood-red fire-retarding slurry near the village — and in some places on it.

"The (Idaho Power) trucks have a nice pink coat," Bobier said with a laugh.

She said firefighters parked several pumper trucks amid the rows of houses, while other crews hacked fire lines across the nearby hillside.

Although Idaho Power officials recommended Oxbow residents evacuate Tuesday, and in particular people who are bothered by dense smoke, Bobier, who has lived in the village for 17 years, said she decided to stay.

She said the fire swept past the village rapidly, burning in places right to the edge of green lawns that residents had doused with water.

"Things were kind of nuts for about an hour — really nuts — then the fire just moved on," Bobier said. "It blew through and was gone."

The smoke, however, hung around.

"It's absolutely miserable down here, the smoke is so bad," Bobier said.

Ash fills the cracks in her concrete driveway like drifted snow.

Still, Bobier said she feels even more secure today than she did Tuesday.

The fire burned most of the grass and brush on the slope above the village, she said — and fire crews purposely ignited backfires to consume what the wildfire spared.

"There's not much left to burn," Bobier said.

In the tinder-dry lands around Oxbow, though, thousands of acres remain vulnerable to flames.

The McLain Creek fire crossed Highway 86 and Pine Creek on Tuesday and burned south toward an Idaho Power transmission line that's suspended from wooden poles, said Stan Becktold, maintenance supervisor at the company's Oxbow compound.

"That's one of our main concerns, protecting that line," Becktold said.

Idaho Power officials planned to evacuate about 100 people today from Hells Canyon Park.

Although the fire is on the opposite side of the reservoir and isn't threatening the park, Becktold said company officials are concerned because the paved road that leads to the park dead-ends at Hells Canyon Dam, about 15 miles north.

"There's basically only one way out," he said — through Oxbow.

Becktold said Idaho Power officials decided to empty Hells Canyon Park now so that if an emergency evacuation were necessary later, the crowds of campers wouldn't clog that single road, which likely would be congested already with fire trucks.

The paved road between Oxbow and Brownlee Dam is closed, although Highway 71, which starts in Idaho, is open to Brownlee Dam, said Dennis Lopez, a spokesman at Idaho Power's headquarters in Boise.

Lopez recommends people avoid the area due to the thick smoke.

Oxbow post office remains open, although postmaster Sandy Omann said she had far fewer customers than usual on Tuesday.

"Otherwise it was business as usual," Omann said.

Chris Collins of the Baker City Herald contributed to this story.
http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=3697

Nevada

Thousands of acres of northern Nevada burning or blackened
By TOM GARDNER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Lightning-sparked wildfires are burning in or have blackened nearly 60 square miles across northern Nevada - some in areas so remote the fires will just burn themselves out.

That's the case with a 4,000 acre blaze 25 miles southeast of Battle Mountain and a 1,183-acre fire 8 miles north of the ghost town of Adaven southwest of Ely. It's being monitored by aircraft.

Of the fires being fought, the largest is the Range fire 16 miles northeast of Hiko at 6,500 acres - a little over 10 square miles - at 10 percent containment.

Other major fires are the Trident fire nine miles southeast of Denio, which is near containment at 5,507 acres; the Springer fire 25 miles southeast of Battle Mountain, which also is near containment at 4,500 acres and the 4,215-acre Marble fire 20 miles west of Wells, which is 90 percent contained.

In southern Nevada, lightning touched off a few small fires in the Black Mountains south of Henderson, but the thunderstorms helped fire crews gain 40 percent containment of the 1,200-acre Picnic fire near Lovell Canyon in the Rainbow Mountain wilderness.

Closer to town, firefighters were nearing containment of a fire in the Red Rock National Conservation Area. The visitor center and loop road reopened on Wednesday.

Northeast of Las Vegas, a 2,500-acre fire was threatening communication towers on Virgin Peak.

Other large fires in the central and eastern parts of the state include the Hambly fire 13 miles northwest of Hiko was burning at 1,500 acres with no containment; the 2,000-acre Winters fire 50 miles northeast of Winnemucca, with no containment, and the 9 Mile fire 36 miles southwest of Montello, which was 95 percent contained at 1,700 acres.

As of Monday, wildland fires this season, including prescribed burns, had blackened 309,694 acres in Nevada, equaling nearly 484 square miles, or about the size of Los Angeles.

---

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/jul/26/072610022.html

Utah

Wildfires Still Smoldering Across The State

SALT LAKE CITY A wildfire burned at least 1.5 square miles in Millard County, and equipment was in place to protect a dozen homes if the blaze turned west toward a central Utah community.

“There are structures that are potentially in the path of the fire. But the fire would have to turn around and go in another direction,” said Jonetta Holt, a spokeswoman for crews fighting the Sunset Canyon fire.

Wind from a potential thunderstorm could push the fire toward homes in Meadow, 150 miles south of Salt Lake City, Holt said.

“They have been alerted,” she said of residents.

The fire, ignited by lightning Sunday, was 15 percent contained.

Elsewhere in Utah, 1,652 acres, or 2.58 square miles, have burned in Washington County, 26 miles southwest of St. George. Called the Pocket Complex fire, it’s actually four fires in terrain described as rugged, steep and inaccessible.

The Reilly fire, also in Washington County, has burned 1,600 acres, or 2.49 square miles, northwest of St. George.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Cedar City said the public needs to be careful.

“In this area we’ve got them all over the mark. We have equipment fires, campfires that are left,” BLM spokeswoman Anne Stanworth said. “If the fire is investigated and they’re found responsible for that fire, they’re responsible for the suppression cost.”

The five-county Color Country area near Arizona has had dozens of recent fires, including three caused by people.

“They just drove off and left their fires burning,” Stanworth said.

http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_206213233.html

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