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Retreat

Unit Information

Washington 
Ellensburg, 
Washington 
98926 
Washington 
Ellensburg, 
Washington 
98926 

Incident Contacts

Retreat Fire Information
Phone: 509-213-4890
Hours: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Fire burning in the forest

The Retreat Fire is approximately 14 miles SW of Naches. The fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy with public and firefighter safety as the number one priority. 

Latest Updates

Latest Maps

Operational Update Video

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. 

Basic Information
Current as of Sun, 08/11/2024 - 21:32
Incident Time Zone America/Los_Angeles
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under investigation/Undetermined
Date of Origin
Location 14 miles WSE of Naches, WA
Incident Commander California Interagency Incident Management Team 14, Incident Commander James Snow
Coordinates 46° 40' 14.9988'' Latitude
-120° 59'
30.1806
'' Longitude
Current Situation
Total Personnel: 412
Size 45,601 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 70%
Fuels Involved

Oak bottoms, grass/sagebrush, and ponderosa forests.

Three main fuel types exist: sage/grass, oak/ grass, mixed conifer and sub alpine fir forests. Sage/grass fuels at the 4200-foot elevation and below are mostly cured and can carry active fire spread. At higher elevations sage and grass are partially cured and burn in isolated patches. Timber litter above 5000-foot elevation is dry and contributing to active fire spread with group torching. Thousand-hour fuels of 10 percent contribute to fire activity at all elevations. At high elevations large diameter fuels are not consuming fully and deep pockets of duff will continue to smolder and smoke as they consumed.

Significant Events

Current ERC in the 95th percentile at 52 and rising and the BI is 33 moving into the 94 percentile. Fire continues to burn actively in areas of unburned fuels within the interior of the fire. Single tree torching continues in the timbered elevations of the fire. Interior ponderosa pine stringers continue to ignite and burn actively with single tree torching. In the lower elevations unburned islands continue to burn in grass with oak overstory, as live fuel moisture decreases the oak is becoming more available to burn.
 

Outlook
Planned Actions

Execute full suppression, full perimeter control action strategies utilizing direct and indirect tactics to minimize impacts to values at risk and firefighter exposure. 

DIV A/C- Patrol and mop up to the extent necessary to meet control objectives.

DIV D Continue construction of Strategic Action #5. Patrol and mop up to the extent necessary to meet control objectives. 

DIV X/Z Complete direct line along rimrock to the Rose Creek fire scare utilize tactical firing as necessary to secure control features. Patrol and mop up completed line to the extent necessary to meet control objectives. 

Structure Patrol and mop up to the extent necessary to meet control objectives with in the structures along the Highway 12 corridor.

Projected Incident Activity

12 hours: Cooler temperature and lighter winds will decrease fire threat and potential. The greatest threat to values at risk will be from spotting from interior islands consuming and fire weakened trees falling.

24hours: Fire behavior will continue to diminish in the finer fuel classes due to a cooler and wetter air mass moving in. Potential will continue to exist in partially burned and unburned pockets of fuel within the fire area due to both live and dead fuels being at critical percentiles and no season ending event in the near future. Smoke impact will lessen over the next few days reducing health impacts and economic disruption. Long term economic impact due to the closure of Highway 12, the loss of transmission lines and the threat of a breach caused by fire weakened trees or rocks impacting the Tieton Canal will remain long after the fire is out.

48hours: With the stable conditions changes in threats to values at risk will not change. An increase in threat to the values at risk is possible over the next few days as resources continue to time out with no replacements available. Without a reduction in workload to the remaining resources the likelihood of potential threats to the line or values at risk will increase due to increased distance between resources patrolling.

72 hours: With the continuation of the current weather pattern and fire behavior the same threats will persist.
 

Current Weather
Weather Concerns

Afternoon showers and thunderstorms in the area brought afternoon humidity up to 26 to 36 percent. Light precipitation was observed by fire fighters. Temperatures were down about 3 degrees, ranging 72 to 84 degrees. Wind was light during the day, but overnight gusts from the northwest at 24 to 36 mph were observed. Good humidity recovery is expected tonight, afternoon humidity should trend the same, while temperatures cool another 3 degrees. Northwest wind will continue strong and gusty starting early evening and continuing overnight, while much lighter during the daylight hours