The Diamond Complex on the Umpqua National Forest consists of 27 lightning-caused fires totaling approximately 6,630 acres, with 647 people assigned. The containment percentages vary per fire. The Middle Fork Fire in the northwest corner of Crater Lake National Park has 34 people assigned, but the Diamond Complex is sharing resources as needed.  Crater Lake National Park remains open. 

Due to many fires in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide, resources remain prioritized to address those most threatening critical values, including life, property, transportation, hydropower infrastructure and developed recreation areas.  

OPERATIONS:  

Middle Fork Fire (2,527 acres, 1% contained): Fire growth to the north and northeast is expected today. West of the fire, masticators continue working along Wizard Creek to tie into the 6530 road that runs parallel to Highway 230. To the northeast, dozers and masticators are constructing line and opening road systems. Crews will begin laying hoses and pumps along many of these lines. The intent is to stop the Middle Fork’s northward spread and confine it within the park. The Pacific Crest Trail from the Dutton Ridge Intersection to Hwy 138, Lightning Springs, Bald Crater Loop, Bert Creek, and Boundary Springs Trails (within the park) are closed.   

Diamond Complex Fires (Due to pilot work/rest requirements, no IR flight for new acreages was done last night) 

Pine Bench Fire (North of Hwy 138 near Dry Creek, 2,148 acres, 15% contained): The south portion of the eastern fire perimeter is looking secure. Masticator and dozer operators are constructing indirect line northeast of the fire and crews have installed hoses and pumps along a portion of this line. On the west side, masticator operators are working up the 4760 road on the edge of the west side of the Wilderness to clear vegetation. Crews cleared vegetation along a dozer line on the south edge of the Wilderness to the fire’s edge. Additional road systems are being prepped on the east as a contingency line to protect infrastructure at Toketee Falls if needed. 

Potter Fire (North of Hwy 138, two miles southeast of Potter Mountain, 1316 acres, 0% contained): Infrastructure protection, including fuels mitigation and structure wrapping is nearing completion and will remain in place should the fire impact it. Fire managers are scouting ridges and road systems for fireline opportunities. 

Trep Fire (About four miles south of Hwy 138, 257 acres, 0% contained): On Monday, dozers constructed a line around fire that slopped to the east. Crews are installing hoses and pumps along that line to cool the fire’s edge. Crews will tie the dozer line into the 600 road system to the south and into a ridgeline. Fire managers hope to have control line around the entire fire in the next few days. Helicopters doing water drops will be used as needed. 

Lost Fire (Northeast of the Trep Fire, 40 acres, 0% contained): Yesterday, helicopters were used to conduct water drops and they will be used again today. Heavy equipment operators are constructing a dozer line on the north side, and firefighters are opening road systems to access the bottom. 

Ooya Fire (North of Hwy 138, one mile northeast of Bird Point, 188 acres, 0% contained): The fire crossed a road to the south, where it had been hung up. Firefighters were able to catch this slop and have been mopping it up. Crews are also opening roads to the northeast. Sawyers are cutting down hazard trees ahead of additional firefighters arriving so they can access and fight the fire directly. 

Brodie Fire (Five miles south of Hwy 138, south of Devils Canyon, 141 acres, 0% contained): Firefighters are having success on this fire, with control line almost entirely around it. Fire managers hope to secure this fire in the next several days so they can move resources to higher-priority fires. 

Lemolo Fire (North of Lemolo Lake on Bunker Hill, 1247 acres, 20% contained): Yesterday firefighters attempted strategic firing operations on the south side, but the conditions still weren’t conducive to completing this work.  

Trail Fire (East of Hwy 138 on the west slope of Mt. Thielsen, 843 acres, 40% contained): This fire is currently unstaffed and will be patrolled from the air. The contained area is on the west side along Highway 138. 

Watson Fire (237 acres, 50% contained): This fire is currently staying within its footprint.   

Loafer Fire (40 acres, 50% contained): Fire managers checked the status of this fire yesterday.   

Other fires within the Diamond Complex:   

Bear Trap Fire (Two miles south of Hwy 138 near Bear Trap Mountain, 64 acres, 50% contained) 

Trap Fire (One mile south of Hwy 138 near Trap Mountain, 16 acres, 0% contained)   

Rough Fire (11 acres, 25% contained)  

Campwood Fire (Two miles south of Hwy 138, 20 acres, 25% contained)  

Wood Fire (Two miles south of Hwy 139, 23 acres, 25% contained)  

Canal Fire (1 acre, 75% contained) 

Slide Fire (Northeast of Pine Bench, 0.1 acres, 95% contained) 

Elephant Fire (Two miles southwest of Lemolo Lake, 0.7 acres, 95% contained) 

Sheep Fire (Three miles north of Diamond Lake, 0.3 acres, 95% contained)  

Thin Fire (Four miles northwest of Diamond Lake, 0.6 acre, 95% contained)  

Pig Iron Fire (Near Pig Iron Mountain north of Hwy 138, 27 acres, 95% contained) 

Garwood Fire (About three miles southwest of Mt. Bailey, 5 acres, 95% contained) 

Mowich Fire (One mile north of Hwy 138, 0.4 acre, 95% contained)  

Toolbox Fire (0.1 acres, 95% contained)  

Fires 100% contained: Clearwater Fire (0.7 acre), Birds Fire (0.1 acres), Dog Fire (0.1 acres) 

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR: Today will see a bigger uptick in fire activity than yesterday due to the continued warming and drying trend. However, there will not be significant wind. Areas of smoke may have an impact on fire behavior, cooling temperatures slightly and keeping humidity higher than expected.  

SMOKE OUTLOOK:  Smoke will remain in the area and may reduce visibility and hinder air operations. For the most up to date information, please visit fire.airnow.gov/  

CLOSURES, RESTRICTIONS, EVACUATIONS: Umpqua National Forest has issued two closures across the forest in response to fire activity to protect public and wildland firefighter safety. Emergency Fire Closure ORDER NO. 06-15-24-03 and Emergency Fire Closure ORDER NO. 06-15-02-24-01 impacts all the Cottage Grove Ranger District, most of the Diamond Lake Ranger District, and parts of the Tiller and North Umpqua Ranger Districts. The closure orders can be found here: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/umpqua/alerts-notices. Fire danger is set at VERY HIGH, and Public Use Restrictions Level 3 ORDER NO. 06-15-24-04 is in effect: https://tinyurl.com/PublicUseRestrictions  

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office downgraded the evacuation order for the Trail Fire from a Level 2: BE SET to a Level 1: Get Ready, but the Level 3: GO NOW remains in effect for the Trail Fire east of Hwy 138. The Level 2: BE SET for the Lemolo Fire has been downgraded to a Level 1: Be Ready, but the Level 3: GO NOW remains in effect for the Lemolo Fire northeast of Lemolo Lake. There is still a Level 2: BE SET for the Pine Bench Fire. For an interactive map of evacuations, visit the Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office website: www.dcso.com/evacuations 

Crews Begin Suppression Repair

Location: Lonerock to west of Highway 207 | Size: 137,222 acres | Containment: 92% 

Cause: Under Investigation 

Start Date: July 13, 2024 | Total Personnel: 288

Fire Information Line: 541-208-4369, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.   

Email: 2024.0404rvlonerock@firenet.gov

Condon, Ore. — Crews have begun the process of suppression repair. The purpose of which is to prevent suppression efforts from becoming permanent scars on the land. It can be as simple as pulling material back into a handline cut by firefighters. Other actions include chipping vegetation that has been cut during the construction of control lines and building water bars across dozer lines to divert water and prevent erosion.
 

Overview— Today crews will continue patrolling the perimeter of the fire and along Winlock Road looking for and addressing hot spots and deepening the control lines. Between roads 21 and 25, they will continue to consolidate and solidify containment lines. They expect to complete the job of pulling and backhauling firehose to prepare it for future use. Firefighters are performing infrastructure repair such as cattleguards and fencing and are proceeding with suppression repair. Meanwhile, resources including crews, engines, water tenders, and heavy equipment are supporting the Bennett Fire, a 400-acre fire, northwest of Antelope in Wasco County.
 

Weather— Temperatures will be slightly cooler and relative humidity will drop as well. There will be light northwest winds over ridgetops. This weekend will bring a weak weather system that could bring lightning to the area.

Safety— Please exercise caution when driving in the area. Firefighters and heavy equipment are working in the area. If you stop to observe or report fire activity, please pull completely off the road while keeping out of grass. Please do not report smoke within the fire perimeter. This is not a threat to fire containment. It is normal and will continue for some time to come.
 

For up-to-date information on evacuations, checkout the Real-Time Assessment and Planning Tool for Oregon (RAPTOR) public information map, see link below. 

Closures: 

• Umatilla National Forest Order Number 06-14-02-24-02 includes prohibitions within the Heppner Ranger District on the Umatilla National Forest.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Prineville District Office issued an Emergency Public Land Closure on BLM-managed lands along the main stem pf the John Day River and along the North Fork John Day River from Kimberly, OR. to Dale, OR.

Smoke Information: Visit https://fire.airnow.gov/ for local air quality information.
 

###

Daily Operational Video for the Sand Stone, Bartlett, Clair, Sheep, Deer, Y Bar, and Round 3 Fires Wednesday August 7, 2024

Tonto National Forest Facebook link: https://fb.watch/tPkprnatmM/

Containment Increases by 20%, Crews Supporting Nearby Fires

Acres: 20,019 acres | Start Date: July 21st, 2024 | Cause: Lightning | Fuels: Timber, grass, brush

Containment: 77% |Resources: 406

MONUMENT, Ore. – Firefighters continue to support local agencies with new fire starts from the Sunday evening lightning storm; meanwhile, firefighters are making steady progress securing the fire’s perimeter. 
 

Overview – Communities near the Courtrock Fire are waking up to see an additional 20 percent increase this morning in containment on the Courtrock Fire thanks to the hard-working efforts of firefighters and support crew, both during the night and day shifts. Crews are working around-the-clock to secure this fire. Today’s objective is to finish pulling firehose off the fire and patrol the lower south and east sides of the fire where there is no containment and continue mop- up efforts. Smoke will continue to be visible within the interior of the fire and is not an indicator of risk to containment.

Meanwhile, resources including crews, engines, water tenders and heavy equipment are supporting the following fires:

• Bennett Fire, a 400-acre fire, northwest of Antelope in Wasco County; 
• Indian Hollow and Wildhorse fires, now a part of the Parrish Creek Complex, a combined 200-acre fire south of Spray, near Steamboat Mountain, in Wheeler County;
• Service Creek Fire, an approximately five-acre fire southwest of the Lone Rock Fire, south of the John Day River, in Wheeler County; and
• Umatilla National Forest, an unnamed fire within the Forest east of the Lone Rock Fire, which is now contained.
   

Weather– Sunny today with a high in the upper 80s. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Cloudy tonight with a low around 62. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east after midnight. Smoke may still be visible this week coming from the interior as fuels dry out and temperatures rise. 

Evacuations– NO level 3 (go now) evacutaions in effect. 

• For Grant County evacuation information, visit Grant County Emergency Management Office’s Facebook page, or sign up for the Grant County Emergency Alert System. 
• For Morrow County evacuation information, visit the link below. 
  
   

Shelters: 

• Evacuation center is set up at Grant Union High School, 911 S Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845.
   

Closures:

• The U.S. Forest Service has issued closures for the Malheur National Forest. For Malheur National Forest closures information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/malheur/news-events• 
   

KEY MESSAGE

Heavy equipment is continuing to work on cleaning up residual fuels from indirect line on Moccasin Ridge using the closed roads to access the line. Yesterday, Miller Peak Fire resources were able to assist Lolo National Forest fire personnel in containing a new fire that started east of the fire. The new fire was 20 feet by 20 feet and was quickly contained and controlled. Even with recent precipitation, fuels are still available for new starts.

CURRENT STATUS

Fire activity has decreased significantly on the fire, but the record low moisture in the heavy fuels allows for residual heat to remain despite the recent precipitation. Crews continue to work on patrolling and mopping up any residual heat along the spotty eastern edge of the fire and being available for any new starts that may occur.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR

Tuesday low-level moisture and instability allowed for scattered thunderstorms during the morning hours that brought frequent lightning and wetting rains for some areas. Tuesday afternoon and evening saw another round of strong thunderstorms with frequent lightning, small hail and gusty outflow winds up to 40 mph.

The flow pattern will switch to the northeast today and Thursday with isolated rain showers each day. A southwesterly flow will bring afternoon thunderstorms each day, Saturday and Sunday, that may keep cloud-cover over the area in the overnight hours.

CLOSURES

An area and road closure around the fire is in effect due to hazardous conditions resulting from fire activity and to allow crews to finish their work on steep, single lane roads. Stage II fire restrictions are in effect in the area. Specific closure information and maps are posted on InciWeb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtlnf-miller-peak-fire and https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lolo/alerts-notices as they are implemented. 

Retreat Fire 

Información sobre incendios: 509-213-4890 Correo electrónico: 2024.retreat@firenet.gov

inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wases-retreat

7 de Agosto de 2024

Equipo 1 de Northern Rockies , Comandante del Incidente Brent Olson

Ubicación: 14 millas al suroeste de Naches, WA

Fecha de inicio: 23 de Julio de 2024

Causa: Bajo investigación

Tamaño: 45.588 acres

Contención: 64%

Recursos: 543 personas en total; 4 excavadoras; 12 equipos manuales; 27 camiones de bomberos

Mensajes Clave: 

Se llevaron a cabo operaciones de fuego manual y aéreo en el lado noroeste del incendio, las operaciones de disparo fueron un éxito.  Las operaciones de fuego a gran escala ya han concluido. Hoy es un día de preparación para la transición entre los equipos de el Comando del Incidentes. El Equipo 14 de California seguirá de cerca al Equipo 1 de Northern Rockies, y el traspaso de mando tendrá lugar a las 6.00 horas del 8 de Agosto. El equipo NR 1 agradece el apoyo de la comunidad local durante el tiempo que hemos permanecido en este incendio.

El corredor de la autopista 12 permanece cerrado a la circulación pública tanto para los bomberos como para la seguridad de el público. El incendio sigue muy activo a lo largo de la autopista y siguen cayendo árboles grandes afectados por el fuego sobre la autopista en momentos inesperados. Se espera que la autopista permanezca cerrada varios días mas.

Situación Actual:

El Retreat Fire está siendo completamente administrado con una estrategia de supresión total que da prioridad a la seguridad pública y de los bomberos.

Ayer continuaron los trabajos de limpieza a lo largo de los lados noreste, este y sur del incendio dentro de las líneas de contención. Los bomberos seguirán patrullando las líneas sur, este y noreste para asegurarse de que no se empuje el calor o el fuego en la línea y para extinguir los puntos calientes donde sea necesario durante el turno de trabajo de hoy. Los módulos de derribo de árboles están trabajando en la tala de árboles peligrosos a lo largo de las líneas de control del norte y talarán árboles peligrosos adicionales en el corredor de la autopista 12.

En la esquina suroeste del incendio los equipos continuaron limpiando a lo largo de la línea de contención y comprobaron el equipo de protección de estructuras que permanece alrededor de las estructuras en Camp Ghormley y a lo largo de Lost Lake Road. El grupo de maquinaria pesada trabajó en la construcción de una cortafuegos sombreado a lo largo de una carretera interior que discurre paralela a las carreteras forestales 1200 y 1201. Los asesores de recursos estuvieron presentes para ayudar a evaluar la ruta y minimizar cualquier impacto de los trabajos que se estaban realizando. El corte de combustible se está construyendo como línea de contingencia.

Las operaciones de fuego continuaron a lo largo del lado noroeste de la zona del incendio y las cuadrillas de bomberos avanzaron hacia el sur utilizando Bethel Oak Trail. Se completó una corta cantidad de ignición aérea trabajando hacia el este en la parte superior de la línea de cresta como alternativa a llevar una línea hacia el sur hasta la autopista 12. Esta línea de cresta sigue el lado norte las cicatrices del incendio Wild Rose del 2012 con la intención de utilizarla como elemento de control. Las acciones de ignición aérea tuvieron que detenerse debido al aumento de la velocidad del viento por la tarde, pero se realizaron suficientes fuegos y la zona siguió ardiendo en el interior para lograr los resultados previstos. Hoy las cuadrillas de bomberos vigilarán y mantendrán la línea.

Meteorología y Comportamiento del Fuego:

Ayer, las temperaturas estaban más frescas con máximas de 70 a 86 grados en todo el incidente y los niveles de humedad ligeramente más altos por la tarde, en torno al 30 por ciento, procedían con vientos del noroeste de moderado a fuerte. Los vientos soplaron con rachas de hasta 35 mph, pero amainaron desde media mañana hasta última hora de la tarde, y luego volvieron a soplar del oeste al noroeste y con rachas de 30 a 35 mph a primera hora de la tarde. Hoy se espera un día soleado, con temperaturas de 80 a 88 grados y niveles mínimos de humedad del 23 al 37%. Los vientos soplarán del noroeste de 1 a 5 mph.

Los vientos provocaron un incendio activo en coníferas mixtas e iniciaron algunos incendios de árboles aislados y manchas de corto alcance. Los combustibles de salvia/pastos a una altitud aproximada de 4200 pies y por debajo, están en su mayoría mente curados y conllevan una propagación activa del fuego. En elevaciones más altas, la salvia y la hierba están parcialmente curadas y arden en parches con un componente de combustible muerto. La hojarasca por encima de los 5000 pies de altitud está seca y contribuye a un comportamiento activo del fuego con incendios en grupos. En las zonas más elevadas, los combustibles de gran diámetro no se queman por completo y es probable que sigan ardiendo.

Cierres y Evacuaciones:

Para obtener la información más actualizada sobre evacuaciones, visite la Administración de Emergencias del Condado de Yakima en este enlace: Sitio web de la Administración de Emergencias de Yakima.

- La autopista 12 permanece cerrada entre la Y de la autopista 410 y la cima del puerto en el punto kilométrico 151.

- Cierre de incendios en el Bosque Nacional  Okanogan-Wenatchee : www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices/?aid=89192.

- La Región Sureste del Departamento de Recursos Naturales del Estado de Washington (DNR) ha cerrado temporalmente el Bosque Estatal de Ahtanum debido al aumento de la actividad del incendio adyacente Retreat Fire que arde cerca de Rimrock Lake. El público puede acceder a la información más actualizada sobre cierres en www.dnr.wa.gov/ahtanum.

- El Departamento de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Washington ha cerrado la mayor parte de la zona silvestre de Oak Creek al acceso público debido al incendio Retreat Fire hasta el 23 de Agosto para garantizar la seguridad pública y facilitar las labores de extinción. Encontrará más información en Áreas silvestres | Departamento de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Washington.

CALIDAD DEL AIRE Y HUMO

Las condiciones de la calidad del aire y del humo y las previsiones de humo pueden consultarse en https://www.airnow.gov/.

Park Fire Incident Update 

Morning of Wednesday, August 7, 2024 

For more information on the Park Fire, please visit: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/calnf-park-fire  

Size: 420,827 acres with 34% containment; Personnel: 6,627 

Lassen National Forest: 

On the #ParkFire another day of high temperatures with low relative humidity is expected, with a slight improvement in the weather predicted for Thursday. Smoke will be visible in the afternoon as dry conditions persist. 

Last night, firefighters used direct attack where fire crossed CA 172. Crews and aircraft continue to aggressively attack and hold the fire with safety as a top priority. 

Unified partners have joined together over 6,000 personnel supporting the suppression of the #ParkFire. 

The #ParkFire has burned 107,116 acres on the Lassen National Forest. 

CAL FIRE: 

The Park fire remained active overnight due to poor humidity recovery, exhibiting uphill runs and intense fire behavior. It will continue to burn actively, moving to the north and east, ascending slopes with critically dry fuel. 

Today, thick smoke will keep temperatures slightly cooler and increase humidity over active parts of the fire until later this afternoon. Crews continue to battle high heat and deep drainages, engaging the fire offensively where safe to do so. 

A weather system is expected to move into the area later in the week, bringing an increase in humidity. 

Some evacuation warnings have been upgraded in the area east of Mill Creek. Repopulation is also occurring in the lower portion of the fire. Please remain diligent as crews and equipment are working in those areas. Stay alert as evacuation updates remain dynamic. 

For more information on the Park Fire please visit:  

• CALFIRE Park Fire: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/24/park-fire  
• CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity Unit/Shasta County Fire Department: https://www.facebook.com/CALFIRESHU  

• CAL FIRE Tehama-Glenn Unit/ Tehama County Fire Dept: https://www.facebook.com/CALFIRETGU  

• Butte County, CA: https://www.facebook.com/ButteCounty 

• Butte County Sheriff: https://www.facebook.com/bcsonews 

• Plumas County Sheriff: https://www.facebook.com/plumascountysheriff  

• Shasta County Sheriff: https://www.facebook.com/ShastaSheriff  

• Tehama County Sheriff: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088640404140  

Cougar Creek Fire Update for August 7, 2024

Incident Commander Jeff Dimke

Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 12

509-210-2928, staffed 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

2024.cougarcreek@firenet.gov 

Quick Facts:

Size: 20,699 Acres               

Start Date: July 15, 2024        

Cause: Under investigation

Location: SW of Clarkston, 1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde River intersection

Containment: 35%             

Personnel: 500                       

Fire Strategy: Full suppression                       

Resources Assigned: 10 crews, 3 helicopters, 37 engines, 12 water tenders, 16 heavy equipment

There will be a virtual community meeting for the Cougar Creek Fire on Thursday, August 8 at 7:30 PM on the Cougar Creek Fire Facebook Page; the meeting will also be recorded and posted on that page. Please send any questions in advance to 2024.cougarcreek@firenet.gov

Operations: Fire managers conducted a thorough aerial reconnaissance of the fire perimeter, and it appears yesterday’s Red Flag Warning did not result in any new fire ignitions within the Cougar Creek TFR. The flight confirmed that heat indicated by previous UAS drone flights remains inside the fire perimeter and is not currently threatening containment lines. 

Firefighters have been building direct and indirect line on the western fire edge to keep the fire east of FSR 40 and prevent fire from becoming established within the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. Firefighters have prepared the remaining two miles of FSR 40 to the north from Little Saddle to the FSR 40/43 intersection and are awaiting favorable conditions for a firing operation. Yesterday firefighters tied in the handline on the ridgeline above FSR 40 south of Little Saddle down to Saddle Butte and conducted a firing operation near Saddle Butte to secure a section of indirect line. Firefighters are planning for additional firing operations today on the western and northwestern portions of the fire as conditions allow to continue to secure lines.

Two helicopters from the Cougar Creek Fire assisted with bucket drops on initial attack fires in the area while also working on this incident, dropping a total of 32,000 gallons of water. Helicopters will also be supporting today’s planned firing operations with water bucket drops as needed. Fire crews to continue work on securing the existing spot fires and mopping up, as well as retrieval of fire hose and equipment from portions of the fire that are now fully contained. 

Evacuations and Closures: Forest closure descriptions and maps are available online on the Umatilla National Forest closure website. In Washington, evacuation notices are posted on the Asotin County Sheriff website and Asotin County Emergency Management Facebook website. Grande Ronde Road is closed from Troy, Oregon, to the Highway 129 junction in Washington. A level 2 evacuation remains in effect for all of Grouse Flat from Bear Creek Road north to the State boundary and the Garfield County line to Grande Ronde River. The TFR remains in effect: https://bit.ly/4duptei. Drone activity is prohibited under the TFR as firefighting aircraft cannot fly with unauthorized drones present. Please respect road and area closure orders and use extra caution while driving for your safety as well as our firefighters.

Weather and Smoke: A low-pressure front arrives today, bringing a dry westerly flow through tomorrow. Temperatures will be a little cooler than recently but still slightly above normal. Air quality in the region remains at Moderate quality. Learn more about smoke at http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/. 

Team 4 assumes command of the Clair, Bartlett, and Sheep Fires

Daily Update – Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Highlights: At 6:00am this morning, Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4 assumed command of the Clair, Bartlett, and Sheep Fires. Team 4 is now managing seven incidents on the Tonto National Forest (see table below for fire statistics). Yesterday, Team 4 gathered information and began developing suppression strategies for the three new fires. Engines, crews, aircraft, and other firefighting resources are engaged on all incidents, working together to prioritize fires based on threats to communities and infrastructure. 

Total personnel on all incidents: 417 

Clair: 2,170 acres; 0% containment

Bartlett: 5,600 acres; 0% containment

Y Bar: 297 acres; 0% containment

Sheep: 1,085 acres; 0% containment

Round 3: 33 acres; 0% containment

Sand Stone: 27,390 acres; 82% containment

Deer: 378 acres; 18% containment

Operational Update: Yesterday, no smoke was observed on the Sand Stone or Round 3 Fires. Crews will continue to chip vegetation along Forest Road 201 and complete suppression repairs on both the Sand Stone and Deer Fires. Mastication will continue on Forest Road 201A toward the Mount Peeley Trailhead. Crews are working to improve dozerline on the Y Bar Fire as helicopters drop water to slow the fire’s progression. Engines and other resources will be sent to the Clair Fire to identify contingency lines to protect the KA Ranch and Humboldt Tower. Firefighters will continue to use aircraft to support ground operations by dropping water on hot spots, conducting mapping missions, and monitoring fire activity. Yesterday, crews conducted strategic firing operations off Bartlett Dam Road and will spend today holding the Bartlett Fire within its current footprint. Firefighters are monitoring the Sheep Fire by air and plan to develop a strategy to prevent fire spread to the west toward the Verde River. Resources remain available to respond to fires 24 hours a day with both a day and night shift. 

Weather: Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are possible today with gusty outflow winds and cloud-to-ground lightning. Temperatures will run near normal for early August after the recent streak of above normal temperatures. Thursday will return to a trend toward above normal temperatures and afternoon/evening thunderstorms.

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from Fountain Hills, Sunflower, Deer Creek, Rye, Rio Verde, Goldfield, and unincorporated communities in the Rio Verde Foothills. An interactive smoke map is available at https://fire.airnow.gov/. 

Closures: Horseshoe Lake campgrounds, Bartlett recreation sites, and Bartlett Dam Road are closed due to the Bartlett and Clair Fires. For more information on road closures, see https://www.az511.com/. The Tonto National Forest has issued a closure order for the Sand Stone Fire area. See https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices/ for more information about forest closures. Trail users should avoid using the Arizona National Scenic Trail near the fire areas.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Drivers are reminded to use caution and be aware of firefighters working along State Route 87. Temporary flight restrictions are currently in place for the Bartlett, Clair, and Y Bar Fires. Flying drones near wildfires is dangerous for pilots and firefighters and can bring wildfire suppression efforts to a halt. Know before you fly. If you fly, we can’t. More information can be found at: https://uas.nifc.gov/. 

More Information: 480-409-9683 / https://www.facebook.com/TontoNationalForest / 2024.sandstone@firenet.gov 

https://inciweb.fs2c.usda.gov/incident-information/aztnf-clair / https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aztnf-bartlett / https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/aztnf-sand-stone 

Retreat

Fire Information: 509-213-4890    Email: 2024.retreat@firenet.gov

inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wases-retreat

August 7, 2024

Northern Rockies Team 1, Incident Commander Brent Olson

Location:  14 miles southwest of Naches, WA

Start Date: July 23, 2024

Cause: Under Investigation

Size: 45,588 acres

Containment: 64%

Resources: 543 Total Personnel; 4 Dozers; 12 Hand Crews; 27 Engines

Key Messages:  

Hand and aerial firing operations were conducted on the northwest side of the fire, firing operations were successful.  Large scale firing operations are now complete. Today is a shadow day in preparation for transition between Incident Management teams. California Team 14 will be shadowing Northern Rockies Team 1, and a transfer of command will take place at 6:00am on August 8. NR Team 1 appreciates the support of the local community during our time on this fire.

The Highway 12 corridor remains closed to public travel for both firefighter and public safety. The fire remains very active along the highway and fire affected large trees continue to fall across the highway at unexpected times. The highway is expected to remain closed for several days.

Current Status:

The Retreat Fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy prioritizing public and firefighter safety.

Yesterday, mop up work continued along the northeast, east, and south sides of the fire within the containment lines. Firefighters will continue to patrol the south, east, and northeast lines to ensure that no heat or fire pushes on the line and to extinguish hot spots where needed during today’s work shift. Tree falling modules are working on cutting hazard trees along the northern control lines and will be cutting additional hazard trees in the Highway 12 corridor.

In the southwest corner of the fire crews continued to mop up along the containment line and checked on the structure protection equipment that remains around the structures at Camp Ghormley and along Lost Lake Road. The heavy equipment group worked on constructing a shaded fuels break along an interior road that runs parallel to Forest Roads 1200 and 1201. Resource Advisors were on site to help evaluate the route and minimize any impacts from the work being done. The fuel break is being constructed as a contingency line.

Firing operations continued along the northwest side of the fire area and crews progressed to the south using the Bethel Oak Trail. A short amount of aerial ignition was completed working back to the east on the top of the ridge line as an alternative to bringing a line south to Highway 12. This ridge line follows the north side of the 2012 Wild Rose Fire scar with the intent of using it as a control feature. Aerial ignition actions had to stop due to increased wind speeds in the afternoon, but enough firing was completed, and the area continued to burn in the interior to achieve the intended results. Crews will monitor and hold the line today.

Weather and Fire Behavior:

Yesterday, cooler temperatures with highs from 70 to 86 degrees across the incident and slightly higher afternoon humidity levels around 30 percent came from a moderate to strong northwest wind pattern. Winds gusted up to 35 mph but subsided from mid-morning to late afternoon, then returned to west to northwest and gusting to 30 to 35 mph by early evening. Today is expected to be mostly sunny with temperatures from 80 to 88 degrees and minimum humidity levels of 23 to 37%. Winds will be from the northwest at 1 to 5 mph.

Winds caused active fire in mixed conifer and initiated some single tree torching and short-range spotting. Sage/grass fuels at approximately 4200 foot elevation and below are mostly cured and carry active fire spread. At higher elevations sage and grass are partially cured and burn in patches with dead fuel component. Timber litter above 5000 foot elevation is dry and contributing to active fire behavior with group torching. At high elevations, large diameter fuels are not burning fully and will likely continue to smolder and burn.

Closures and Evacuations:

For the most up-to-date information on evacuations, please visit Yakima County Emergency Management located at this link: Yakima Emergency Management website.

- US Hwy 12 remains closed between the Y at Hwy 410 and the summit of the Pass at milepost 151.

- Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Retreat Fire Closure: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices/?aid=89192.

- The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Southeast Region has temporarily closed the Ahtanum State Forest due to increased activity from the adjacent Retreat Fire burning near Rimrock Lake. The public can access the most up-to-date closure information at www.dnr.wa.gov/ahtanum.

- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed the majority of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area to public access due to the Retreat Fire until Aug. 23 to ensure public safety and facilitate firefighting efforts. More information can be found at Wildlife Areas | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

AIR QUALITY AND SMOKE

Air quality and smoke conditions and smoke outlooks can be found at https://www.airnow.gov/