Pioneer Fire Update for Sunday, June 23, 2024

CHELAN, Wash. — The Pioneer Fire is burning in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Area in the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and on private land 31 miles northwest of Chelan.  Stehekin, Chelan and Manson are open and continue to welcome visitors. 

In the last 12 operational shifts, more than 1 million gallons of water have been used to cool the fire’s edge and slow its progression to the north and south. During that time, firefighters have been implementing protection measures for homes, outbuildings and infrastructure from Stehekin at the north end of the fire and down lake to Canoe Creek on the south end. 

Up lake, control lines consisting of handline, hose and sprinklers are in place from Moore Point to Hunts Bluff. Crews will continue to improve these protections and handlines extending to a natural rock feature on the southwest face of Moore Mountain.

Today, structure protection crews will continue working their way north from Flick Creek Campground toward the community of Stehekin. Firefighters are wrapping historic structures with fire resistant materials known as structure wrap. Structure wrapping is an aluminum material that reflects heat and prevents sparks or embers from reaching the structure it protects.

Ground resources are also constructing a contingency line around Stehekin.

Down lake, crews are constructing control lines from the South Navarre Campground along Nelson Butte to the lakeshore. In Canoe Creek and Prince Creek, structure protection is in place and crews are preparing for tactical firing if needed to reinforce those lines.

Farther south, fire personnel are assessing critical values between Deer Point and Mitchell Creek to validate protection plans in that area. 

The Contingency group is clearing trees and other debris from the road system around Oss Peak to allow safe access for fire trucks and equipment. Firefighters are scouting potential contingency lines between Oss Peak and Johnson Creek Road.

Woody debris is being masticated along a dozer line on Coyote Ridge. On Nelson Butte, crews are prepping handline in areas heavy equipment couldn’t reach.

Safety: A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place across the fire area. This applies to drones as well. Remember, if you fly, we can’t!

Smoke & Air Quality: Check current air quality conditions at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about health impacts and becoming Smoke Ready at smokeready.org.

EVACUATIONS: Evacuation levels have not changed since Sunday, June 16. Please visit County of Chelan, Washington for the most current information on evacuations.

To receive fire updates via email, sign up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/PndMhvq 

Incendio Pioneer Actualizado para el Domingo 23 de Junio, 2024

CHELAN, Wash. — El incendio Pioneer está ardiendo en el Area Silvestre del Lago Chelan-Sawtooth en el Distrito de Guardabosques de Chelan del Bosque Nacional Okanogan-Wenatchee y en tierra privada 31 millas al noroeste de Chelan. Stehekin, Chelan y Manson están abiertos y continúan dardo la bienvenida a los visitantes.

En los últimos 12 turnos operativos, se han utilizado más de 1 millón de galones de agua para enfriar el borde del incendio y detener su progresión hacia el norte y el sur. Durante ese tiempo, los combatientes de incendio han estado implementando medidas de protección para viviendas, chozas e infraestructura desde Stehekin en el extremo norte del incendio y hacia abajo del lago hasta Canoe Creek en el extremo sur.

Hacia arriba del lago, las líneas de control que consisten de líneas de fuego manuales, manguera y aspersores están en su lugar desde Moore Point hasta Hunts Bluff. Las brigadas continuarán mejorando estas protecciones y líneas de fuego manuales cual se extienden a una característica de roca natural en el lado suroeste de Moore Mountain.

Hoy, los equipos de protección de estructuras continuarán trabajando hacia el norte desde el campamento Flick Creek hacia la comunidad de Stehekin. Los combatientes de incendio están envolviendo estructuras históricas con materiales resistentes al fuego conocidos como envoltura de estructuras. La envoltura de estructura es un material de aluminio que refleja el calor y evita que las chispas o brasas lleguen a la estructura que protege.

Los recursos terrestres también están construyendo una línea de contingencia alrededor de Stehekin.

Hacia abajo del lago, las brigadas están construyendo líneas de control desde el campamento South Navarre a lo largo de Nelson Butte hasta la orilla del lago. En los arroyos Canoe Creek y Prince Creek, la protección de estructuras  está en su lugar y las brigadas  se están preparando para un cotra-fuego táctico si es necesario para reforzar esas líneas.

Más hacia el sur, el personal de incendios están evaluando los valores críticos entre Deer Point y Mitchell Creek para validar los planes de protección en esa área.

El grupo de contingencia está limpiando árboles y otros escombros del sistema de caminos  alrededor de Oss Peak para permitir un acceso seguro a las moro-bombas y el equipo pesado de incendio. Los combatientes de incendio están explorando posibles líneas de contingencia entre Oss Peak y Johnson Creek Road.

Los escombros pesados están siendo masticados a lo largo de una línea de topadora (dozer) en Coyote Ridge. En Nelson Butte, las brigadas están preparando línea manual en áreas donde el equipo pesado no pudo llegar.

Seguridad: Se ha establecido una restricción temporal de vuelo (TFR, por sus siglas en inglés) en toda  el área  del incendio. Esto también se aplica a los drones. Recuerda, si vuelas, ¡nosotros no podemos!

Calidad del Aire y Humo: Verifique las condiciones actuales de calidad del aire en: https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Aprenda más sobre los impactos a la salud y como prepararse para estar Listo para el Humo en: smokeready.org.

EVACUACIONES: los niveles de evacuaciones no han cambiado desde el domingo, 16 de Junio. Por favor visite: County of Chelan, Washington para obtener la información más actualizada sobre evacuaciones. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080 

Trails east of Grant Grove Village and Wilsonia are closed temporarily for the Park Ridge Prescribed Burn. This includes access to Park Ridge Fire Lookout. 

While Panoramic Point Drive is still open, trails leaving east from the picnic and parking area are closed. 

Please refer to the map for specifics on which trails and trail segments are closed. 

Southwest Area Incident Management Team Community Meeting

South Fork and Salt Fires

Facebook Live Stream: https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5 

Sunday June 23, 2024, at 5pm MDT 

with representatives from Lincoln County, Ruidoso Police Department, NM State Police, Red Cross, PNM, Windstream, Mescalero Apache Telephone, Tri-State Electric, Otero Co Electric. 

Southwest Area

Incident Management Team

TEAM 5 – Dave Gesser– INCIDENT COMMANDER

Community meeting tonight; Fire suppression is ongoing, hazards still present 

Daily Update, Sunday, June 23, 2024

Public Information Line: 575-323-8258 or 575-323-8378

Media Information Line: 575-323-8053

Phone Line Hours: 8 am – 8 pm

Email: 2024.southfork@firenet.gov

Acres:  South Fork – 17,551; Salt – 7,775

Start Date: June 17, 2024

Location: South Fork – Ruidoso Area; Salt – 7 mile west of Mescalero, NM

Personnel: 1,114

Containment: South Fork – 31%; Salt – 7%

Fuels: mixed conifer, grass, pine/juniper                                    

Resources:  22 Crews, 88 Engines, 13 dozers, and 18 water tenders. Aircraft remain available for bucket and retardant drops if the need arises, and conditions allow.

Highlights: Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 will host a Community Meeting Facebook Live event on Sunday June 23, 2024, at 5pm MDT at https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5 with representatives from Lincoln County, Ruidoso Police Department, NM State Police, Red Cross, PNM, Windstream, Mescalero Apache Telephone, Tri-State Electric, Otero Co Electric. 

Unsanctioned drone use puts responders and the public at risk because of the potential for accidents and disruption of suppression operations. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is still in place over the South Fork and Salt fire area. The TFR prohibits any and all drone use by the public, as they are considered aircraft under federal law. 

As evacuations and closures are lifted, extra precautions should be exercised as emergency and fire vehicles, engines and equipment continue to travel and work along roadways and incident personnel work and travel within neighborhoods. 

Fire Activity: The South Fork and Salt fires saw additional precipitation on Saturday, making it difficult for crews to access some areas due to unsafe conditions. On Sunday, weather conditions will allow firefighters to continue securing the perimeter and responding to hot spots within the interior of the fire area. 

These fires are a long-duration event, and as such, as weather changes occur and temperatures increase, fire activity will increase in unburned pockets of fuel, including stumps and downed trees. As these fuels reignite, smoke may be visible.

Damage and structure assessments are still being conducted. Crews will be available to respond to any new starts and flare ups as needed. 

Weather: The potential for scattered storms exists today as warmer weather moves into the area. Temperatures will warm to above normal and winds will be mostly light.

Smoke: Light smoke was seen on both the South Fork and Salt fires on Saturday. Smoke production will remain light to moderate on Sunday. More variable wind direction, especially during the morning, may lead to light smoke and moderate air quality at times for all locations around the fires. Additional details are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/430b2c05.

Evacuations: Evacuation and closure status are transitioning. Use www.lincolncountynm.gov and www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire for the latest information. Contact the Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center at 575-258-6900 if you have questions. 

Closures: A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued on June 20, 2024, for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The identified areas, and roads and trails therein, are closed to public access to allow firefighting personnel to work and through the fire area safely. More information is available at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lincoln/alerts-notices/?aid=88199. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is also in place over the fire area. Visit https://www.tfr.faa.gov for more information. Drone flights are also prohibited within this area. If you fly, we may have to ground our air resources.

More information:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmmea-south-fork-and-salt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5 

Smoke Outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/430b2c05

Lincoln County Government: www.lincolncountynm.gov

Mescalero Apache Tribe: https://mescaleroapachetribe.com 

Village of Ruidoso: www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire

Firefighters are making good progress. The Interlaken Fire remains at 96% contained and 698 acres.

Thanks for being patient with us while we finish making the fire area safe for your return. We ask that you respect the closure area to allow our firefighters to safely do their job. 

Closed Areas to all Recreation Use:

The Interlaken trail, trailhead and Clear Creek

Disperse camping area at Interlaken and below Twin Lakes Dam

Colorado Trail segment 11 and multiple access points to the trail in the fire zone NFST #1776, segment 11

Dexter Campground and boat ramp

Entire surface area/shoreline of water Twin Lakes east (lower), no fishing or boating is allowed

Day use areas around east (lower) Twin Lakes - Big Mac, Dexter Point, Sunnyside, Cabin Cove, Whistler Point, and Mountain View, these sites are all on the northside of Twin Lakes and Dexter Campground

National Forest Service Roads (NFSR) - NFSR#399, #399A, #399B, #398, #398A, #179, #170A, #174A, #175, #175A, #175B, and #175C

Incident Command & Operations Live event Update

South Fork and Salt Fires

Saturday’s Incident Commander & Operations virtual Session is Postponed.

The Community Meeting Facebook Live Stream will still take place:
Sunday June 23, 2024, at 5pm MDT at https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5

with representatives from Lincoln County, Ruidoso Police Department, NM State Police, Red Cross, PNM, Windstream, Mescalero Apache Telephone, Tri-State Electric, Otero Co Electric.

Pioneer Fire Update for Saturday, June 22, 2024

 CHELAN, Wash. — The Pioneer Fire is burning in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Area in the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and on private land 31 miles northwest of Chelan.  Stehekin, Chelan and Manson are open and continue to welcome visitors. 

Strategic water drops are effectively holding the fire between Meadow Creek and Prince Creek. Fire movement is progressing slightly northeastward in the Meadow Creek drainage up lake of the fire area and very slowly into Prince Creek down lake.

Today, crews will continue structure protection work from the Flick Creek drainage north and along the lake to Stehekin. Firefighters will begin implementing and assessing contingency lines around Stehekin.

Friday, up lake structure protection was completed from Moore Point to Hunts Bluff. Crews also finished building handline from the Fish Creek Trail to a natural rock feature on the southwest face of Moore Mountain. 

Logistics personnel loaded seven pickups, seven UTVs, a fuel tender, two trucks loaded with supplies, and six portapotties onto a barge for delivery to the Stehekin camp. Local passenger boats are being used to transport large numbers of firefighters as they arrive.

Fire resources are nearing completion of their initial objective of establishing point protection around the homes and structures along the lakeshore. They are now shifting to implementation of longer-term suppression strategies, starting with construction of indirect lines to protect the communities up lake and down lake of the fire area.

Down lake, prep work on the Coyote Ridge line will move forward with masticator work, and on the Nelson Butte line with a dozer and masticator working in tandem. Crews will be scouting a proposed control line high up on the ridge between South Navarre Campground and Red Butte to connect the 8200 and 8020 road systems. Fire personnel are also starting to assess structures and infrastructure for structure protection down lake between Deer Point and Dutch Harbor.

The Roads group has completed 23 miles of grading and 14 miles of brushing on the Grade Creek Road (8200). 

EVACUATIONS: Evacuation levels have not changed since Sunday, June 16. Please visit County of Chelan, Washington for the most current information on evacuations.

Smoke & Air Quality: Check current air quality conditions at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about health impacts and becoming Smoke Ready at smokeready.org.

To receive fire updates via email, sign up at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/PndMhvq 

Public information: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080

E-mail: 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov

Phone: 509-210-2926 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily

Washington Smoke Blog: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

Incendio Pioneer Actualizado para el Sabado 22 de Junio, 2024

 CHELAN, Wash. — El incendio Pioneer está ardiendo en el Area Silvestre del Lago Chelan-Sawtooth en el Distrito de Guardabosques de Chelan del Bosque Nacional Okanogan-Wenatchee y en tierra privada 31 millas al noroeste de Chelan. Stehekin, Chelan y Manson están abiertos y continúan dardo la bienvenida a los visitantes.

Descargas de agua estratégicas están deteniendo efectivamente el fuego entre los arroyos Meadow Creek y Prince Creek. El movimiento del fuego está progresando un poco al noroeste en el drenaje del arroyo Meadow creek hacia arriba del lago y muy despacio hacia abajo del arroyo Prince Creek

El viernes, se completó la protección de estructuras desde Moore Point hasta Hunts Bluff. Las brigadas también terminaron de construir línea manual desde el sendero Fish Creek hasta una característica de roca natural en el   lado suroeste de Moore Mountain.

El personal de logística cargó siete camionetas, siete UTV (vehículos de todo terreno), un vehículo de combustible, dos camiones cargados con suministros y seis baños portátiles en un barco para ser entregados al campamento de Stehekin. Barcos de pasajeros locales están siendo utilizado para transportar a un gran número de combatientes de incendio a medida que llegan.

Los recursos de incendios están a punto de completar su objetivo inicial de establecer puntos de protección alrededor de las casas y estructuras a lo largo de la orilla del lago. Ahora están cambiando a la implementación de estrategias de supresión de largo-plazo, comenzando con la construcción de líneas fuego indirectas para proteger las comunidades que se encuentran hacia arriba y abajo del lago en la área del incendio.

Hacia abajo del lago, el trabajo de preparación de la línea de fuego en Coyote Ridge avanzará con equipo masticador, y en la línea de fuego en Nelson Butte con una topadora (dozer) y un masticador trabajando en conjunto. Las brigadas explorarán una línea de control propuesta en lo alto del cerro entre el campamento South Navarre Campground y Red Butte para conectar los sistemas de los caminos 8200 y 8020. El personal de incendios también está comenzando a evaluar estructuras y la infraestructura hacia abajo del lago entre Deer Point y Dutch Harbor para la protección de las estructuras.

El grupo que trabaja en los caminos ha completado 23 millas de nivelación y 14 millas de limpieza en el camino Grade Creek Road (8200).

EVACUACIONES: los niveles de evacuaciones no han cambiado desde el domingo, 16 de Junio. Visite County of Chelan, Washington para obtener la información más actualizada sobre evacuaciones.

Calidad del Aire y Humo: Verifique las condiciones actuales de calidad del aire en: https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Aprenda más sobre los impactos a la salud y como prepararse para estar Listo para el Humo en: smokeready.org.

Para recibir actualizaciones de incendio por correo email, regístrese en: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/PndMhvq 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080