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Haines Index Map - Higher Haines means fire growth tends to be stronger:
Fuel Dryness: Tells you how likely things are to burn if a fire gets started:
Posted on 07/28/2006 8:54:18 AM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum
Haines Index Map - Higher Haines means fire growth tends to be stronger:
Fuel Dryness: Tells you how likely things are to burn if a fire gets started:
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July 28, 2006 Wildland fire activity was moderate throughout the nation with 212 new fires reported. Twelve new large fires were reported: one each in South Dakota, Texas, Nebraska, Oregon, Montana, Utah, and Washington; three in California; and two in Nevada. Fifteen large fires were contained: one each in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Utah; two each in California and Texas; and five in Nevada. Two MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel from the 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, North Carolina have been deployed to Klamath Falls, OR. Major Dan Cloninger, NCANG is the Mission Commander. Fire Weather Watches: For isolated dry lightning, low humidity, and breezy conditions in South Dakota and northeast Wyoming.
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Interesting Irony of the day: The Type 1 Management Team fighting the Horse fire in the San Diego area, where it's been so hot, is from Alaska!
Last count, there are 22 fires being managed by National type 2 teams, and 12 type 1 teams deployed: 1 in MN, 5 in CA, 2 in Oregon, 2 in WA, 1 in UT and 1 in SD.
In the year 2004, which has the closest acreage burned to this year's acres burned, 4,404,139 had burned in Alaska, so that isn't quite the same comparison it looks. The Western Great Basin (mostly Nevada) which has burned over 461,000 acres this year in 2004 had only burned 28,612.
For comparison:
There are 3,064 fire management people (overhead) deployed.
There are 497 crews out (a typical crew is 20 people, although it very well may be more), 10,000 + people on the fireline. (This doesn't include people who are running fire engines or aircraft.)
In 2004, there were 1720 management people, and 270 crews (5,400+ people) deployed on this date.
Incident: Eastridge Wildland Fire
Released: 2006-07-28 11:31:00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2006
9:00 AM (0900) Plains Fire Information Center
Lonnie Arthur, Frank Carroll
(605) 393-8055
Beth Hermanson (Eastridge Fire)
605-381-7232
www.inciweb.org
Black Hills Fire Update – Morning Report
Rapid City, SD –
Eastridge Fire
Size: 2,000 acres
Containment: 10% contained. Structural protection is a priority.
Road Closures: Heavy traffic and onlookers have caused traffic jams in the vicinity of the fire. Please do not travel to the area to view the fire activity. Please do not stop to view the fire activity from vehicles along roadways. Evacuated residents can go to the Red Cross Shelter at Central High School in Rapid City. The Red Cross information phone number is (605) 342-4010.
Resources on the Fire: More resources will arrive today.
Helicopters: 5
Heavy Air Tankers: 3
Crews: 1
Engines: 23
Current Status
The East Ridge Fire continues to threaten homes south of Elk Creek Road and north of Interstate 90. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated and road closures are in place.
The Northern Great Plains Type 2 Incident Management Team with incident commander Joe Lowe has set up an Incident Command Post at the Stagebarn Elementary School. “These are my friends and neighbors,” said Incident Commander Joe Lowe. “My own home has been evacuated, so this fire is very near and dear to my heart.”
Firefighters worked through the night to protect homes and structures. Some structures were lost; however, the location and number of the structures lost has not yet been confirmed. The Sheriff is assessing the situation to identify lost structures.
Burnout operations on the west side of the fire began last night. The hillside was engulfed in flames and smoked poured into the sky as firefighters used fire to fight fire. The burnout consumed fuels between the main fire and a dozer line constructed yesterday. Burnout operations will continue today. The general public may be alarmed to see the flames and smoke from these burnouts; however, burnouts are a proven fire fighting method and will greatly aid the containment of the fire. Helicopter bucket drops will also be a major part of the suppression efforts today. Helicopter bucket drops will concentrate on structural protection, stopping any spot fires ahead of the main fire, and further securing the dozer lines on the west side of the fire.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning due to the high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds. “This is going to be a tough day,” said Operations Section Chief Jim Strain during the firefighter’s morning briefing. “We will do everything we can out there, but it is not worth your life.” Firefighter and public safety is the first priority.
Firefighting resources are stretched thin nationwide due to large catastrophic fires. The National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) has raised the national preparedness level to Level 5. Level 5 is the highest level of preparedness. Fires are competing for resources and NICC is prioritizing these resources. A Type 1 Team has been ordered for the East Ridge Fire. Type 1 team members will begin arriving late tonight and it is estimated that they will take over management of the fire late Saturday.
Black Hills National Forest
Firefighters continued to make progress through the night on multiple small fires across the Black Hills.
The west Pass creek Fire is in mop up stage with ten engines and two hand crews working to put the fire out.
Other new starts have been detected this morning and firefighters are preparing for red flag warnings for later today and record high temperatures across the Northern Great Plains.
Incident Contact: Ted Pettis (406) 529-3905
Incident: Woodchuck Wildland Fire
Released: 2006-07-28 11:21:00
FACT SHEET Woodchuck Fire
July 28, 2006 10:00 a.m.
Contact: Information Officers Ted Pettis @ (208) 660-5740 cell phone or Terina Mullen @ (406) 208-0934 cell phone.
Location: 6 miles northeast of Florence, MT
Jurisdiction: Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation
Cooperating Agencies: Missoula & Ravalli County, Lolo National Forest, Plum Creek
Incident Commanders: Mark Grant & John Specht, Northern Rockies Type II Incident Management Team. The ICP is located @ junction of Upper Woodchuck & 8 mile Roads.
Current Size: 950 acres Containment: 40%
Estimated Containment Date: Unknown Estimated Control Date: Unknown
Status: This was a human-caused fire that started on July 25th that is still under investigation. Fuel types are Ponderosa pine, grass, and logging slash. There are 24 structures threatened in the Woodchuck area with two confirmed lost.
Yesterday’s Activities: Firefighters completed dozer and hand lines around the perimeter of the fire and conducted burn out operations on the eastern half. Structure protection continued in the upper Woodchuck area. Helicopters provided support with water bucket drops. All containment lines held.
Current Resources: There are 304 total personnel, including nine 20-person crews, assigned to these fires. Equipment includes 3 dozers, 22 engines & water tenders, and 2 helicopters with access to 2 others being shared with other fires.
Today’s Activities: Firefighters will secure machine and hand firelines with burn out operations, removing unburned fuels between the fire and the constructed fireline. Hand crews will continue to patrol and mop-up all secured containment lines and around structures.
The evacuation order has been lifted for residents to the northwest of the fire area. Beginning at 10:00 a.m., the Missoula County Sheriff’s office will be escorting some of the evacuated homeowners back to their residences in the fire area.
The public should be advised that Stage I Fire Restrictions are currently in effect for the West Central Montana Area which includes all the areas in Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley. Stage II Fire Restrictions will go into effect on July 31st. Contact the Northern Rockies website listed below for details.
The following information hotlines have also been established: Missoula County DES Hotline @ 258-4271 and Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center @ 375-6650.
For further information on Fires, contact www.inciweb.org or contact the
Northern Rockies Coordination Center website at http://www.gacc.nifc.gov/nrcc/
http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/351/842/
Incident Contact: Icp Info Center (541) 742-6647
Incident: Foster Gulch Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 2006-07-28 10:39:00
Date Started: 7/23/2006
Cause of Ignition: Lightning
Location: Foster Gulch - 3 miles east of Richland : McLean - 12 miles northeast of Halfway
Size: 28,958 acres
Percent contained: 10%
Estimated Time of Containment: Unknown
Personnel: 583 personnel on the line plus support and overhead
Aircraft Assigned: 1 helicopter
Equipment: 59 engines, 9 dozers and 13 water tenders
Yesterday’s Activities: High temperatures, low humidities, large quantities of available fuel, and challenging terrain contributed to active fire behavior. Firefighters extinguished more of the hot spots near residences. The Foster Gulch Fire spread further to the northeast in the steep, broken ground west of the Snake River. The McLean Fire burned actively, but did not cross the North Pine Road/Forest Service 39 road.
Today’s Planned Actions: Continue to protect structures. Patrol around Pine Creek and Oxbow Village. Mop up 300 feet around structures from Oxbow Village to Homestead. Begin structure protection around Brownlee Reservoir and along highway 71. Prep line for firing through timber area from Hess saddle to the west.
Weather and Fire Behavior: The weather forecast is for continued warm, dry conditions. Forecasted west winds will help slow fire progression to the west though extremely dry fine fuels will allow for perimeter growth in all directions, with shifting winds and possible afternoon gusts. Temperatures are expected to range from 93-97 degrees depending upon elevation. Humidities are expected to range from ten to fourteen percent.
Traffic Management in the McLean Fire Area: Highway 71 remains open to all traffice, but may be closed without further notice. Highway 86 from the junction with Forest Service Road 39 to Oxbow is open to all traffic, but may be closed without notice if the fire poses increased risk to traffic. Expect delays.
From Oxbow north to Copper, the road is open only to residents and emergency vehicles.
All campgrounds are closed in the area. Access to the Snake River for rafters and boaters from Highway 71 remains open but may be closed without notice if the risk increases.
A Level III evacuation has been posted between Oxbow and Brownlee Reservoir.
Public Meeting: A public meeting has been scheduled for Friday evening, July 28, at the Lions Club in Halfway, Oregon. This meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. and is open to all local residents, business owners, government officials, and other interested parties. Fire officials will be in attendance to explain the firefighting process to date, and future expectations for the fires.
Special Messages: The public is encouraged to access the fire website (www.inciweb.org) for continued updates through the day. The complex is burning on private and federal land. About twenty five percent of the private land is protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The rest of the private land is unprotected and is outside any fire protection jurisdiction. The federal land is under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. A Unified Command has been established under the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s office and Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3. The respective incident commanders are Scott Magers and Bob Anderson.
Resources: The unified command interagency fire fighting effort is supported by the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, Baker County Sheriff, Oregon Department of Transportation and the Red Cross.
Fire Camp Location: Halfway Fairgrounds
Incident Contact: (619) 590-3160
| Updated | 2006-07-28 11:52:21 EST |
|---|---|
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Human |
| Date of Origin | 07/23/2006 at 0530 hrs. |
| Location |
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| Incident Commander | Lynn Wilcock |
| Size | 16,601 acres |
|---|---|
| Percent Contained | 65% |
| Estimated Containment Date | 07/30/2006 at 1800 hrs. |
| Total Personnel | 1522 |
| Fuels Involved | Heavy brush. Last burned in Laguna Fire in 1970 |
| Fire Behavior | Fire continues to creep and smolder with minimal spread. |
| Today's Significant Events |
| Estimated Date of Control | |
|---|---|
| Planned Actions | Continue direct attack where opportunities exist. Work east and west along the southern perimeter of fire. |
| Projected Movement | Cloud cover, higher humidity, and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms will limit significant fire spread today. |
| Growth Potential | Medium |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
| Containment Target | Very likely. |
| Remarks | Lyons Valley Road is now open for public travel. All communities affected by evacuation orders have been downgraded to an advisory status. Reassignment of engines and helicopters to other incidents continues. Barrett Honor Camp is assessing re-opening in the morning hours. Acreage adjustment due to aerial mapping update. |
| Current Wind Conditions | 3 mph W |
|---|---|
| Current Temperature | 73 degrees |
| Current Humidity | 68 % |
| Forecasted Wind Conditions | 11 mph W |
| Forecasted Temperature | 87 degrees |
| Forecasted Humidity | 32 % |
Texas:
Wildfires ripped through more than 1,000 acres Thursday, and the threat is not over.
The biggest concern is in San Saba where firefighters are still trying to get control of a brush fire they've been battling all day. South of there between Round Mountain and Johnson City, another fire threatened a wildlife zoo.
Northeast of Austin in Coupland, yet another blaze flared up Thursday.
In Coupland, the volunteer fire department had a busy day fighting a 100-acre brush fire that started around 4 p.m. Now, they've since put it out, and luckily no homes were damaged.
That's not true for all of Thursday's fires. San Saba has one that's still raging right now.
With the dry ground and blazing sun, fires raged across parts of Central Texas all day.
Firefighters in San Saba started fighting the fire off and on since Wednesday. It started on FM 500 and has since spread more than 400 acres with eight crews unable to contain the flames. Just before 6 p.m., the fire jumped the county road where people live.
Firefighters have evacuated those people from their homes and are putting up fire barriers to keep the structures as safe as possible. Firefighters still don't know how the wildfire started.
Another fire was not near homes, but definitely near life in Blanco County's Exotic Resort Zoo. Apparently, a welder's torch sparked the fire that spread 20 acres between Round Mountain and Johnson City.
"A spark from one of the torches jumped in the grass and then took off and lit the hay bales on them, and once it hit the hay bales, they were so dry, along with the dry vegetation, and it didn't take any time to get away from them," Round Mountain Volunteer Fire Chief Allen Harrison said.
Although they had to live in smoky confines for a while, none of the animals at the zoo were hurt in the fire. Firefighters managed to get it out by 5 p.m. All in all, it was a difficult day for firefighters in many counties.
The dry conditions make the land ripe for these kinds of fires, and that's why there are burn bans in effect.
http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=5208934&nav=menu73_1
Gee, go take a pill, or a nap or something.
Oregon Wildfires Prompt Evacuations
Last Updated:
07-28-06 at 7:23AM
PORTLAND, Ore. -- About 500 people who live near a central Oregon tourist town were ordered to evacuate Thursday as a wildfire threatened two neighborhoods, officials said.
Another 1,000 residents were given a pre-evacuation notice, meaning they might have to flee at a moment's notice.
The 200 homes in the Crossroads and Edgington neighborhoods were threatened by a more than 2-square-mile fire that started Sunday by lightning, said David Seesholtz of the Incident Command Team. The timber fire was about 6 miles from the town of Sisters, popular with recreational tourists, and about 3 miles from the evacuated neighborhoods.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski ordered that all necessary state resources, including air tankers, be made available to fight the fire. Two Oregon National Guard helicopters were dispatched.
"Ensuring the safety and protection of Sisters residents and their property is my highest priority," he said.
Areas of California's vast Los Padres National Forest, where lightning has sparked at least two dozen wildfires in the past week, were closed Thursday. About 375 square miles of land that included at least six campgrounds, an off-road vehicle trail and deer hunting territory were ordered closed indefinitely.
"I'm very concerned about the fires' potential to spread rapidly," forest Supervisor Gloria Brown said in a statement. "If that were to occur, it would be impossible to get people out in time."
The largest blaze in the forest covered 7 square miles on Sierra Madre Ridge in Santa Barbara County. Bulldozers and crews were cutting lines to prevent it from moving north. It was 5 percent contained.
In southwestern Utah, firefighters warned residents of more than 70 homes north of St. George to remove anything that could add fuel to wildfires burning a few miles away. A lightning-sparked fire has burned at least 7.8 square miles in hazardous terrain between St. George and Veyo, said Anne Stanworth, spokeswoman for the Color Country Fire Management Area.
Meanwhile, six members of an elite firefighting crew battling blazes dotting northern Nevada were caught in a fiery dust devil that burned two so severely they had to be flown to a Las Vegas hospital, fire officials said. The fire whorl formed in live embers as the crew was burning off vegetation to prevent a nearly 5-square-mile fire from spreading, the Bureau of Land Management said.
Both hospitalized firefighters had first- or second-degree burns over 50 percent of their bodies but were expected to recover, public information officer Frank Mosbacher said Thursday. A federal interagency serious-accident team was investigating.
The blaze was one of more than a dozen lightning-sparked fires that have blackened more than 110 square miles of Nevada in the past week.
http://www.kfmb.com/stories/story.57920.html
wildfire ping!
I run a daily (or nearly daily) pinglist on this sort of stuff. If you're not interested, you don't have to read. Others are quite interested.
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Date |
Time |
Center |
Remarks |
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7/27 |
2130 |
CNC |
BMD planning to order a T2 IMT to manage a group of fires that will be called the Iowa Complex. |
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7/27 |
2100 |
WBC |
WGB going to PL5. |
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7/27 |
2040 |
CNC/EIC |
Smj requests for the Rochester (WID) and Granite (EKD) still pending. |
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7/27 |
2015 |
CNC |
Winters acreage now estimated at 70,000. All resources have been pulled off the line tonight and will re-deploy when Suwyn assumes command at 0600 tomorrow. Reassigning crews from the Trident Complex to the Winters. |
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7/27 |
1940 |
WBC |
J-25 from Ely is enroute to WMC to retrieve smjs demobing off the Iowa fire. It will RON in WMC. |
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7/27 |
1820 |
ECC |
Peers, Kicksmiller and Cactus all received some rain. Most of the activity on the Hambly Complex was limited to the Range fire. |
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7/27 |
1815 |
CNC |
J-66 dropped 2 on the High Rock fire (WID), located approximately 25 miles south of WMC, and has landed WMC. |
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7/27 |
1600 |
WBC |
Intel update: Peers (ELD): 1100 acres and holding. Kicksmiller (ELD): 2,800 acres and holding. Cactus (ELD): New start, currently @ 350 acres. Hambly Complex (ELD): 42,000 acres and holding. Rattlesnake (ELD): 50 acres. Horse (ELD): No size, 8 smjs on scene. Basco Complex (EKD): 15,000 acres and very active. The Complex now includes the Taylor fire. T2 IMT ordered. Taylor (NNS): 2,000 acres and very active. Winters (WID): Estimated back to 40,000 acres and very active (air support ineffective). Trident Complex (WID): Contained @ 3,000 acres. Iowa (BMD): 1200 acres and holding. Silver Cr. (BMD): 200 acres, 7 smjs on scene, poor vehicle access. |
Pocket Complex Fire
The Pocket Complex is comprised of fires named Paiute Fort, Cottonwood, Wells, Head, and Summit.
Contact Name and number: Fire Information 435-865-4657
Start Date: July 22, 2006
Cause: Lightning
Size: Approximately 11,105 total acres.
Percent Contained: 60% total for the complex.
Expected Complex Containment Date: 7-31-06
Location: 30 miles south of St. George, UT Washington, County, 15 miles south of Mesquite, NV
Terrain: Rugged, steep and inaccessible terrain
Vegetation: Grasses, pinion juniper and brush
Resources: 275 personnel. 9 crews, 1 helicopter, 8 engines, 2 dozers, 3 water tenders, 2 camp crews, management team 34.
Fire Behavior: Extreme fire behavior
Closures/restrictions: None
Structures threatened: None
http://www.utahfireinfo.gov/wildfires2006/pocketcomplex.htm
Reilly Complex
Fire Information: 435-865-4657
Location: 13 miles northwest of St. George, UT Washington County
Type: Wildfire
Start Date: 7-24-06
Cause: Lightning
Size: 6,000 acres total for the complex, Reilly Fire=4,000 acres, Red Hill Fire=2,000 acres
Containment: 10%
Terrain: Hazardous
Vegetation: Grasses, Pinion Juniper, hardwood slash, and brush
Resources: 216 personnel, 8 crews, 3 water tenders, 2 type 1 helicopters, 3 seats, 2 heavy air tankers, 5 engines, 2 dozers, 43 overhead
Fire Behavior: Smoldering and Torching
Closures/restrictions: None
Threatened: The community of Dammeron and the Utah Hill Aviation and Communication Site. The communities of Veyo, Gunlock, Shivwit Reservation, Brookside, Central, and Pine Valley.
http://www.utahfireinfo.gov/wildfires2006/reillyfire.htm
Knock it off, punk.
Some of us are interested.
It's not OUR problem that you don't have the self control necessary to not click on threads you're not interested in.
Minnesota
Five New York City firefighters have traded skyscrapers and subways for pine trees and canoes as they learn about big-time disaster management from an elite team of wildfire experts in the north woods of Minnesota.
They hope their training in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness will help them effectively manage the worst type of disasters back home.
"It's an eye-opening experience," said Capt. Patrick Cleary, commanding officer of Engine Company 59 in Harlem. "I've seen a different management style. ... I've seen people come together from all different agencies from all different areas, and it works."
Pairing forest experts with big-city firefighters may seem odd, but officials say the matchup makes sense. Wildfire experts have been using an "incident command system" for years to respond to large-scale disasters and situations involving multiple agencies and complicated logistics.
Members of the wildland fire community took their skills to New York after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. One team helped coordinate the city's response, while another team -- currently in the Boundary Waters -- worked on supplies.
"They filled a void," said New York Deputy Chief Bob Maynes.
"In standard New York City emergencies, there's probably nobody better" than the city's firefighters, he said. "But once the Trade Center happened, it was something we weren't used to. ... We had a deficiency in multi-operational, very complex operations."
A 2002 report that examined the response to the World Trade Center attacks recommended the Fire Department develop its own incident management team, specifically focused on urban terrorism. An agreement was set up to begin training with the wildland fire community, Maynes said.
Training started in 2003 and is ongoing, Maynes said. In addition to the five firefighters in Minnesota, seven are currently in Oregon and two were just returning from Arizona, he said.
The department now has its own Incident Management Team, which was deployed to New Orleans to assist officials after Hurricane Katrina.
And Maynes said the lessons learned in the deep woods could benefit every major city.
"In New York, we expect another attack sooner or later," Maynes said. "We do see this as a glaring need nationally. There are attempts for us to help train (people in) other urban areas."
In Minnesota, Cleary and his colleagues are shadowing members of the Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team 2. This team is one of 17 national teams with that high-level of expertise in managing complex disasters. In addition to wildfires and the terrorist attacks, this team has also responded to Hurricane Rita and to the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia.
Cleary, who has been a firefighter for more than 15 years, is training with the public information officers on the expert team.
"There's a reason why New York City sent five of us here," he said. "These guys are the best at what they do."
When he arrived to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, which spans about 1,500 square miles along the Canadian border and holds hundreds of lakes and rivers, Cleary said he was overwhelmed to see the operation at work.
The incident management team had set up "a little city, and everything they need to support this operation to put this fire out is here," he said. "It's hard to imagine that they can get this much done this quickly, but they are the best."
The fire began July 14 with a lightning strike, and quickly multiplied in size due to weather conditions and because the fire happened in the "blowdown area," an area of about 550 square miles that contains trees that had been toppled in a 1999 storm. Those millions of trees have been drying out on the ground ever since, creating perfect kindling for an intense fire.
Firefighters this week have detonated more than three-quarters of a mile of explosive cord to shred downed timber fueling the fire.
In recent days, the fire had been 45 percent contained, and had only spread to about 50 square miles, including 39 square miles of land. Costs of fighting the blaze have reached nearly $4.7 million.
As part of his training, Cleary hosted an information meeting for local residents and business owners. The situation was different from what he's used to, but he said it went well, and the public wants to be informed.
"I think they were just amused by my accent," he joked.
He's also made the most of his wilderness experience, which includes his first moose sighting, sleeping in a tent instead of his small house on Long Island, and hearing crickets and birds instead of traffic.
"I haven't slept in a tent since I was about 10, in my backyard," he said, adding, "You know what really jumps out at you, is the number of lakes. ... You drive a little bit and you see another lake ... and each one of them is prettier than the next."
"It's been a great experience. It's been a beautiful country, and I'd like to come back and visit with my family someday," he said.
He also values the training and is anxious to share what he's learning with his colleagues.
"Honestly, New York City firemen will get anything done at any time," said Cleary. "What these guys provide is a system for getting things done more efficiently in the long run. .... Everyone has a job. There are no egos. You are here for a team."
By Amy Forliti, Associated Press Writer
http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=130476
Majestic Fire – Zion National Park
Contact Name and number: David Eaker 435-772-7811
Start Date: July 23, 2006
Cause: Lightning
Size: Approximately 200 acres
Percent Contained: N/A (The park is using a confinement/containment strategy on this fire)
Location: On Mount Majestic, an isolated mesa between Behunin and Refrigerator Canyons
Terrain: Rugged canyons, slickrock and mesa top
Vegetation: Mountain brush and ponderosa pine
Resources on fire: Zion fire personnel and the Zion Helitack helicopter
Fire Behavior: Moderate
Closures/restrictions: The West Rim Trail is closed between Scouts Lookout and Campsites 1 & 2
Structures threatened: None
http://www.utahfireinfo.gov/wildfires2006/majesticfire.htm
Incident Contact: Jim Archambeault (509) 784-1511 ext. 550
North Fork Campground closed
The North Fork Campground is now closed. more...
Subject: Tinpan Fire Update
Date: July 28, 2006
Contact: Koshare Lomnicki or Nick Mickel, 509-784-1511, ext. 550
The Tin Pan Wildland Use Fire (WFU), also called a wildland fire for resource benefit, continues to burn in the headwaters of the Entiat River, within the Glacier Peak Wilderness and within planned boundaries. A Type 2 Interagency Incident Management Team has been asked to manage the fire due to the complexity of implementing several components of the fire use plan designed for this fire. This is a progression of the outlined Management Action Points (MAPs) in the Wildland Fire Implementation Plan. The Type 3 and Wildland Fire Use teams who managed the fire in the early phases created a solid plan for using the natural role of fire in this ecosystem to accomplish resource objectives with minimal impact to values outside the wilderness boundary.
Yesterday, there was active burning on the northwest side of the Snow Brushy Creek drainage and in alpine “stringers”, or fingers of timber in high alpine rocky areas. The fire boundary did not change significantly, but the fire intensity within the burned area was greater. The northwest edge of the fire, above the Entiat River Trail 1400, had minimal fire activity. Crews continued to do fuel reduction, risk assessments, and prepare key areas for potential burnout operations.
Today, a crew will concentrate on fuel reduction work near Milham Pass. Another crew will hike in to Myrtle Lake to begin fuel reduction work and create a safe location for a spike camp. The North Fork Campground is now closed to allow for fire management operations in the area. Equipment crews are using the area as they set up a “batch plant” for mixing fire retardant. The wind is expected to be gustier as a weather change moves through the area for the weekend. If the fire perimeter grows, helicopters will drop water on active areas so fuel reduction work can be continued safely. Currently the fire is within the planned WFU boundaries, but predicted weather indicates fire may eventually reach those boundaries.
Safety is a primary concern for this and all fires. The strategy and tactics being used on the Tin Pan wildland fire use fire are no different than a full suppression wildfire. Because of the terrain and fuels, firefighting crews would not be used for direct suppression action in this area, regardless of the type of fire management.
Local residents are invited to talk with members of the Incident Management Team and Entiat Ranger District employees at a public meeting on Saturday, July 29, at the Entiat Grange Hall from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.
Several trail closures are now in effect. All areas of the Glacier Peak Wilderness within the Entiat drainage are closed to public access. This closure includes the entire length of Entiat River Trail 1400 from the Cottonwood Trailhead, and the Duncan Hill Trail 1434 that lead to the wilderness. Trails in the North Fork Entiat (outside of the wilderness) remain open at this time. Please contact local Ranger District offices for more information and a complete listing of closed trails.
| Updated | 2006-07-28 12:03:32 EST |
|---|---|
| Incident Type | Wildland Fire Use Fire |
| Benefits & Objectives |
Wildland Fire Use (WFU) |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | 07/06/2006 at 1701 hrs. |
| Location | 40 miles northwest of Entiat, WA 40 miles northwest of the town of Entiat, WA, burning in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. |
| Incident Commander | Michelle Ellis |
| Size | 2,930 acres |
|---|---|
| Percent Contained | |
| Estimated Containment Date | |
| Total Personnel | 130 |
| Fuels Involved | FM 10 (timber litter and understory)Sub-alpine fir, spruce, and larch |
| Fire Behavior | Backing, torching, spotting. |
| Today's Significant Events | Monitored north side for spots. Utilized bucket drops to slow spread of spot fires located near critical holding areas. Continued with installation of hoselay along river from spike camp downstream to hold fire north of the river. Transitioned with incoming Type 2 Team (Jennings), with transfer of command to atke plance at 0600 on July 28, 2006. |
| Estimated Date of Control | |
|---|---|
| Planned Actions | Monitor fire behavior , utilize helicopters as needed. Monitor for spots north of the MMA boundary. Continued with installation of hoselay along river from spike camp downstream to hold fire north of the river. Insert hand crew to prepare area for future burnout to keep fire within the MMA boundary and out of the Lake Chalan Drainage |
| Projected Movement | Continued spread down valley towards MMA boundary. |
| Growth Potential | Extreme |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme. |
| Containment Target | |
| Remarks | Critical resources are needed to construct indirect line to hold the fire within the MMA boundary. Established a 5 mile TFR around fire. Additional Trail closures in effect. |
| Current Wind Conditions | 5-10 mph NW |
|---|---|
| Current Temperature | 82 degrees |
| Current Humidity | 23 % |
| Forecasted Wind Conditions | 6-17 mph NW |
| Forecasted Temperature | 79 degrees |
| Forecasted Humidity | 18 % |
Really smokey here the past couple of days. East Ridge fire was 200 acres last night, now close to 3000. We expect record high temps the next three days. Just a rumor, but I heard that there were two more homes lost there during the night. Trying to verify. We had planned to go Denver for the weekend, but the fire situation has changed that. We will remain here with hoses and gel at the ready.
Thanks for the ping and this great thread. Even have my ex-forest ranger husband reading it now.
Montana
LORENCE - Mark Grant's waking nightmare is the wind.
Grant, a career U.S. Forest Service official from Coeur d'Alene, is the incident commander on the 950-acre Woodchuck fire burning east of Florence, and on Thursday the wind gave him some peace. But the forecast is less than cheery.
“We are supposed to get some pretty strong winds starting sometime late Friday and then they're supposed to increase on Saturday and Sunday,” Grant said Thursday. “About the only good thing you can say about that is that the wind should move the fire away from the houses we've been concerned about.”
*
Of course, it's too late for two of those homes, which burned Tuesday not long after the fire erupted in the hilly country north of Eight Mile Creek Road. Fire officials had previously noted the destruction of only one home, but Missoula County Sheriff Mike McMeekin and Grant said Thursday that a cabin that wasn't occupied at the time also burned.
“We weren't entirely sure whether there was anyone in that cabin at the time, so it took folks awhile to determine what the ownership was and to track those people down,” McMeekin said Thursday evening.
Other residents in the Upper Woodchuck area remained evacuated Thursday, but McMeekin announced plans at a community meeting Thursday evening that will get some people back in their homes on Friday, allow others to visit and stay for a while, and still others to go on a guided visit.
“It's not safe to just turn people loose to drive around in there just yet,” McMeekin told the crowd gathered at the Florence-Carlton School.
The issue, of course, is safety - for residents and firefighters traveling a road that is now the main avenue into the fire, because winds may make the fire once again erratic, and simply because the area remains hot, dry and extremely flammable.
“I just can't have people running all around up there right now,” Grant said. “We are really mindful of the hardship imposed by taking people out of their homes, but I still think it's more important for them to have a home to come back to.”
Although at least one homeowner said Thursday that because the area around his home has already burned he should be allowed to return home, Grant said there remain too many concerns about fickle winds in the Woodchuck drainage. Of particular concern is the way wind in the drainage sometime eddies back on itself and often appears to be running in two directions at once.
“People have described fire behavior like that up here, so we want to make sure that we don't have firefighters moving one way and then find the fire is taking off behind us again,” Grant said.
The area is no stranger to fire. The Cooney Ridge fire scorched much of the country southeast of Woodchuck in 2003, and the east edge of the current fire is actually closing in on some of the terrain burned then. Grant said the fire is burning primarily on timbered hillsides - some logged, some not - owned by Plum Creek Timber Co., the state of Montana, private residents and a small part of the Lolo National Forest.
The houses, Grant said, are situated on broken, open ground that gave initial-attack firefighters a chance to set up structure protection and steer the fire clear of most of the homes on Tuesday evening.
“They did a heck of a job up there that night,” he said. “It's a shame they lost a few, but the fact that they saved what they did was remarkable, especially given the conditions.
It's a return of those conditions that has Grant a bit worried going into the weekend.
“We could use a little help from the weatherman,” he said. “But we'll make do with what we get.”
On Thursday, helicopter crews working ceaselessly to quell hotspots along the containment lines, and dozers worked to extend those lines along the southwest flank of the fire. Hand crews were mopping up on the western flank near homes, making sure the ground is cold and dead within 200 feet of structures and the fire line in that area.
About 150 people are now working on the fire, and Grant said he may be able to draw on more resources should the fire run amok in the expected weekend wind.
Elsewhere Thursday, the Gash Creek fire, burning six miles southwest of Victor in the South Fork of Gash Creek, sent up a towering plume of smoke, but firefighters said the fire mostly burned within containment lines. The plume was caused by some islands of dense vegetation burning inside those lines and was not the result of new fire outside the lines.
Containment lines on the south and east flanks of the fire - those closest to the valley - are holding well. The fire has burned about 750 acres and more than 200 people are now working to contain the blaze, along with a bulldozer, a water tender and six engines.
Yet another fire sparked in the Larry Creek Campground in the Bitterroot Valley on Thursday, but a quick response knocked it down after the fire burned just three acres.
The Packer Gulch fire, which started July 18 and has destroyed one home northeast of Bearmouth, has now burned more than 3,000 acres, but firefighters have nearly contained it. Most of the work on the Packer fire is considered mop up; the fire is described as “winding down” and is expected to be fully contained by the end of the work day Friday.
Roads that had previously been closed due to the fire were reopened at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Reporter Michael Moore can be reached at 523-5252 or at mmoore@missoulian.com
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/28/news/top/news01.txt
Thank you.
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