Big Horn Update

FINAL UPDATE

July 31, 2024

Final Acreage Size: 51,569 acres

Containment: 100%

Start Date/Time: 7/22/2024 at 1:07 PM

Area of Origin: 7 miles SE of Bickleton, WA

Cause: Undetermined                                          

Structures Damaged: 4

Yesterday, all crews ended their shifts and were demobilized. Some resources went home to rest while many were reassigned to different fires. All roads are open and there are no evacuation warnings. The fire is 100% contained as of Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at 6:00 PM and turned back over to the local jurisdictions.

Today, Southeast Washington Incident Management Team (SEWAIMT) will be heading home to prepare for our next assignment. Thank you to the cooperators and the community for your ongoing support during this incident.

For future information please visit Klickitat County Emergency Management’s website or check Facebook:

• https://www.klickitatcounty.org/249/Emergency-Management
• https://www.facebook.com/KlickitatDEM911

Weather and Smoke: Klickitat County still has no quality alerts, but there is an excessive heat watch by 12:00 pm, Friday, August 2, 2024. For more information on smoke and air quality, please visit: Washington Smoke Information (wasmoke.blogspot.com)

###

Fire
There are multiple fires affecting the forecast area, including smoke transport from SW Oregon and 
N California. For more information on Limepoint/Cliff Mountain wildfire incidents, please visit 
Inciweb (https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idpaf- limepoint-fire)
Smoke
High pressure today will bring hotter and drier weather starting Wednesday and peaking Friday. 
Today's conditions should be more favorable from previous days resulting in MODERATE air quality 
across the area. Transport smoke from Oregon and California fires should remain aloft, only 
resulting in upper atmospheric hazy conditions. Smoke from the Limepoint/Cliff Mountain fires will 
be terrain-driven in the early hours flowing SW downslope through the Snake River corridor. Late 
morning conditions will begin to move smoke primarily NE toward Grangeville then eventually drift 
E-SE in the later afternoon possibly impacting air quality in McCall and Cascades.
 

Public Information Phone: (435) 310-5450 Email: 2024.silverking@firenet.gov  

Agency: Fishlake National Forest – Beaver Ranger District 

Location: Approximately three miles west of Marysvale, Utah  

Start Date: July 05, 2024   

Cause: Lightning  

Acres: 18,222 

Containment/Completion: 88% 

Personnel: 135 

Suppression repair and mop up remain priorities for firefighters. Dozer line rehabilitation will move to the north side of the fire. A helitack crew is working to extinguish any hot spots along the western perimeter of the fire in Bullion Canyon.  

While warm and dry conditions remain, winds will moderate today, thus the Red Flag Warning expired Tuesday night. Winds will gust to around 18 mph, humidity will drop to around 9%, and temperatures will peak in the 70s to mid-80s. Smoke impact will remain minimal, and smoke columns visible from adjacent communities are coming from interior areas that do not pose a threat to fire lines. 

Once containment and confinement of the fire is achieved, the burned area will take time to recover. Suppression repair and emergency stabilization are ongoing, rehabilitating impacts from heavy equipment used to contain the fire and loss of vegetation from the fire itself. The window to salvage downed timber is approximately one year, so crews may be removing trees in the coming months. Forest managers will monitor effects and work to ensure the area regenerates and thrives long term. Long-term restoration may include hazard tree mitigation, reforestation, monitoring fire effects, infrastructure repair, stream and habitat rehabilitation, and treating noxious weed infestations. Post-fire restoration usually takes years. 

Public invited to Monument community meeting tomorrow, mop up continues along Zones I & II.

UKIAH, Ore. – Firefighters on the Battle Mountain Complex continued to make progress on mop-up operations across both Zones I and II, taking advantage of cool morning conditions and cloud cover throughout the day. Temperatures only reached the low 80s, which naturally limited fire behavior as well.

In Zone I of the incident, evacuation Levels were lowered by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management today, decreasing Monument from a Level 3 to a Level 2, portions of Fox Valley from a Level 3 to a Level 2 and Long Creek from a Level 2 to a Level 1. As a result of those decreases, a community meeting will be held in Monument on Wednesday, July 31 at 5 p.m. at the Monument School Gym for a current fire update; officials with Oregon Department of Forestry Teams 1 and 3, as well as Oregon State Fire Marshal will be available afterward to answer any questions not covered in the meeting.

On the line today, mop-up operations were in full swing in Zones I and II, with a continued focus in the Cupper Creek area. Both wildland firefighters from ODF Team I and structural firefighters from Oregon State Fire Marshal taskforces remain coordinated and engaged, securing homes and increasing overall containment. Due to the progress over the past couple of days, OSFM task forces are slowly being sent back to their home units for rest and in anticipation of staffing needs at other incidents.

In Zone II, firefighters continue to focus on the Potamus drainage as crews construct hand and dozer line directly on the fire’s edge within the canyon. Crews are working to connect lines and stop the fire’s forward progress before temperatures begin to rise on Thursday.

As firefighters mop-up and build containment, crews will continue to patrol firelines to locate and extinguish any fire activity along and outside the perimeter. They will also identify and remove any dead-standing timber and other overhead hazards.

Moving forward, the incident will discontinue the evening update and move to one morning update each day unless fire activity changes greatly.

Evacuations: Level 1 (Be Ready), Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations are in effect. For updated information, visit:

• For Umatilla County, follow www.facebook.com/UmatillaCountySheriff or sign up for Umatilla County Emergency Alert System at https://member.everbridge.net/index/2590041373147145.
• For Grant County, visit the RAPTOR arcgis site or sign up for alerts at: https://member.everbridge.net/index/825462649520134.|
• For Morrow County, visit https://experience.arcgis.com/.../de78333b0d2544f7a320142...

Public Land Closures:

The Bureau of Land Management has closed public lands along the John Day River from Kimberly to Dale, and from Kimberly to Service Creek. More information here: https://www.blm.gov/.../oregon-washington/fire-restrictions.

The Umatilla National Forest has implemented a closure for public lands within the Heppner Ranger District and the North Fork John Day Ranger District. More information at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/news-events/... and https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/alerts-notices/....

FIRE AT A GLANCE
Total Estimated Complex Size: 178,171 acres
Monkey Creek Fire: 173,687
North Fork Owens: 4,484 acres
Total Containment 14%
Cause: Under Investigation
Estimated Cost: $29,200,000

All Resources:
Hand Crews: 67
Engines: 85
Water Tenders: 37
Dozers: 29
Helicopters: 4
Total Personnel: 2,010

Winding Waters Complex Evening Update: June 30, 2024  

Information: (541) 321-0369    

Email:  imt2.fireinfo@odf.oregon.gov

Incident Links: https://linktr.ee/WindingWatersComplex2024

Favorable weather aids firefighters in push to secure the Winding Waters Complex

WALLOWA, Ore. – Favorable weather brought light precipitation over the complex and provided a brief opportunity for firefighters to extend and secure fire lines and mop up deeper into the fire’s interior. The Big Canyon fire is fully lined, however unburnt fuel remains between the fire and indirect containment lines along the Deer Creek drainage. Securing this area by removing unburnt fuel inside the lines is a priority before hotter and drier weather arrives in the coming days. All the other fires on the complex are completely lined and crews are continuing efforts to improve security of those lines through mop up efforts.

The Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team 2 will hold a community meeting at Wallowa High School on Thursday (8/01) at 7pm. The meeting will be held in the commons at the entrance to the gymnasium.  Community members are invited to attend. This will offer community members the opportunity to hear more about fire conditions and planned operations.

The Winding Waters Complex is comprised of the following fires, listed by name and Acres:

Big Canyon: 288 Acres

Charlie Brown: 69 Acres

Courtney Creek: 59 Acres

Mountain View: 318 Acres

Water: 18.5 Acres

Public use and industrial restrictions remain in effect on both ODF and USFS jurisdictions. Above normal temperatures are forecast to return by Thursday.

Contact Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center at (541) 963- 7171 or dial 9-1-1 to report a fire or smoke. Stay informed about current fire-related updates in the Blue Mountains by visiting http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/

Closure Order Issued for Boulder Fire Area

BOISE, Idaho, July 30, 2024 – The Boise National Forest has issued a closure order for roads, trails and lands encompassing the Boulder Fire, located 10 miles southwest of Cascade. The closure was enacted to protect public safety and support fire suppression activities.

The closure includes Snowbank Mountain Road (Forest Road 446) along with all 404 and 421 system roads. Blue Lake is also within the closure area. 

The full legal description and map detailing the closure area boundaries are on the Boise National Forest Alerts and Notices webpage under the Cascade Ranger District. This closure will last through December unless rescinded. 

For the Boise National Forest Fire Info Hotline call 208-384-3266.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (July 30, 2024) – The Alexander Mountain Fire is currently estimated at 5,080 acres. The fire remains at 0% containment. Fire growth was primarily along the north, west and east perimeters.

As fire activity increased throughout the day multiple air resources dropped water and fire retardant to help secure the fire perimeter and protect values at risk. Over 270 firefighters were on the ground today, focusing on critical infrastructure and private property. Dry fuels, high temperatures and low humidity made for difficult firefighting conditions. Crews will staff the fire overnight. Firefighter and public safety remain the number one priority.

Tomorrow, firefighters plan to focus efforts on the northwest perimeter as well as the Highway 34 corridor. A Complex Incident Management Team will assume command of the fire Thursday, August 1. Hotshot Crews and multiple other resources will be arriving on scene tomorrow.

Weather forecast for the rest of the week remains hot, dry and windy over the area through Friday. A slight chance of scattered rain is expected over the weekend.

Larimer County Sheriff's Office will continue to operate the Joint Information Center and provide information about evacuation notices, animal evacuations and road closures. For evacuation information visit https://www.nocoalert.org/ or text LCEVAC to 888777. The Joint Information Center can be reached at (970) 980-2500. 

The cause of the Alexander Mountain Fire is under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the cause and origin of the Alexander Mountain fire is asked to call the Forest Service Law Enforcement Tip Line at (303) 275-5266. Photographs and videos can be submitted via https://fs.us.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/amountainfire.

For more information visit InciWeb, and for the latest updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. To receive email updates on this fire, join our email list and select Forest Health & Fire: North of Hwy 34 to Hwy 14 (Buckhorn Canyon, Glen Haven, Cedar Park).

After consultation with fire management personnel and the continued increasing stability of the incident; Delta County Sheriff Mark Taylor has lifted the pre-evacuation status for all residents on Redlands Mesa and upper Leroux Creek effective 7:00 pm, July 30th with the exception of homes/cabins that are located north of or within the active fire perimeter on Currant Creek Road.

Homes/structures located within the fire perimeter remain under evacuation notice due to their proximity to the fire. Fire managers were able to confirm this evening that none of these structures have been damaged by the fire. Three homes and five residents have been evacuated since Saturday afternoon due to the fire being in close proximity to their homes on Currant Creek. The American Red Cross and Delta County Human Services have been working with these displaced residents to ensure they have temporary housing, food, and supplies including food and shelter for their displaced pets.  Fire crews have been actively engaged in structure protection the past two days to ensure these affected homes are protected against fire embers.

News Release – Lower Granite Fire

  July 30th, 2024

Pomeroy, WA: The Lower Granite Fire started about 12:15pm on July 29th, 2024.  The fire quickly spread east with strong, gusty winds, threatening croplands, cattle, rangeland and structures.  Garfield County Fire District 1 initially responded to the fire, working with local farmers and ranchers to stop the fire progression.  As the fire continued to grow, aerial support and additional resources were requested.  Washington State Patrol authorized the response of state firefighting resources, mobilizing four strike teams of district fire engines to respond to the fire.

Wildland crews worked with aerial resources local farmers and rancher to stop fire progression throughout the evening.  Garfield County Fire District 1 patrolled structures in the area, located and extinguishing discovered hot spots around structures. 

Strike teams have been arriving throughout today, relieving local initial attack crews and engaging in structure protection and mitigation.  Hand crews have been strengthening fire line and removing unburned fuels in steep, rugged terrain south of Wawawaii Grade, where two fingers of the fire burned down towards the Snake River.    

Northeast Washington Incident Management Team Type 3, Team 1 is assuming command of the fire on July 30th, working with Garfield County Fire District 1 in fire suppression efforts. 

Level 2 and Level 1 Evacuations remain in effect. Current evacuations are updated on the Garfield County Sheriff's Facebooks page at https:www.facebook.com/GarfieldCountySheriff