The State of Washington

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August 17th

WINTHROP, Wash. (AP) - Command of four wildfires burning in
northcentral Washington has been transferred from a national team
to a regional group of firefighters, now that the complexity of the
fires has eased.
The Flick Creek fire near the remote community of Stehekin and
the Tinpan fire, which is burning in the Glacier Peak Wilderness,
have become more subdued, said Paul Hart, U.S. Forest Service
spokesman in Wenatchee.
Firefighting efforts now are focused on the larger Tripod and
Spur Peak fires, which together have burned more than 154 square
miles, or 99,060 acres between Winthrop and Conconully.
Firefighters remain concerned that the fire could grow to the
north or northeast, where about eight miles of the fire remains
unlined, said Ron DeHart, a U.S. Forest Service fire spokesman in
Conconully.
"We're not out of the woods on this one yet," he said. "We
have what we call a dirty fire. It didn't burn clean. It
hop-scotched around leaving lots of unburned areas."
The fire was 25 percent contained Thursday. More than 3,000
firefighters were assigned to the blaze, although the national
command team transferred management of the north-central Washington
blazes to a regional squad on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a Michigan woman was cited for reckless burning after
fire investigators and police concluded her alleged illegal
campfire sparked the Flick Creek fire near Stehekin. The fire has
blackened 4,401 acres on the east shore of Lake Chelan. The fire
was 50 percent contained Thursday.
Mary Irene HayHoe, 46, from Mason, Mich., had been homeless and
living in the Stehekin area the past eight months, Chelan County
Sheriff Mike Harum said.
HayHoe came forward to National Park Service authorities in
Stehekin within hours of the start of the forest fire on July 26,
Harum said. HayHoe told authorities that she thought she had
extinguished her campfire. Investigators concluded that the woman
made a good effort to do so, and the fire was accidental.
However, campfires are not allowed in so-called "cross-country
zones" away from trails. HayHoe also did not have a camping
permit, police said.
The reckless burning charge is a gross misdemeanor, punishable
by a $5,000 fine and one year in jail. She also could be forced to
pay restitution.
Firefighting costs have been estimated at $800,000 so far, Harum
said.
"She's very sorry for what happened," Harum said. "Whether
she can pay or not, she's going to be required to pay something."
All visitor services in Stehekin remain open, but some trails
and campgrounds in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and the
Wenatchee National Forest remain closed.
The 4,581-acre Tinpan fire along the Entiat River trail in the
Glacier Peak Wilderness was being managed as a wildland use fire,
meaning it will be allowed to burn naturally unless it threatens to
go beyond preset boundaries.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

August 20th

WINTHROP, Wash. (AP) - Fire crews held the line Sunday against
the state's major fires, bracing for lightning forecast late Monday
along the crest of the Cascades and into northcentral Washington.
"There's not much in the way of precipitation" expected with
the storms, said meteorologist Ted Buehner with the National
Weather Service in Seattle. "The threat is primarily lightning
strikes and local gusty winds associated with thunderstorms."
He described the storms as "the hit and miss variety."
Fire crews "have been working hard this weekend trying to do
the containment," Buehner said. Told that acreage numbers had not
changed much since Saturday, he added, "Part of the problem is the
poor guys have that rough terrain to play with."
Meanwhile, a new fire - estimated at 100 acres - was reported on
Mount Rainier, just outside the park along the Carbon River. The
fire apparently began Saturday, said spokeswoman Patty Hensen of
the Department of Natural Resources.
The fire is on private timberland, fire spokesman Dale Warriner
said later. "We don't expect it to get into the park," he said.
"There are no road closures at this time but there night be."
About 60 people were on the fire late Sunday, and a
fire-management team was taking it over from DNR early Monday,
Warriner said. "It's very steep terrain. Heavy timber - very
difficult," he said. No injuries had been reported and the fire
posed no immediate threat to homes or structures.
Fire coverage can be tough to assess due to smoke, noted Elton
Thomas at the interagency fire center in Portland, Ore.
The state's largest fire, the Tripod Complex between the
northcentral towns of Winthrop and Conconully, was reported at
107,226 acres Sunday - almost 4,000 acres less than was reported
Saturday. Initially there were two fires - the Tripod and Spur Peak
fires - but they merged Friday into one blaze. Fire crews worked to
burn fuel in front of the fire, and to cut trail where possible. In
addition to the tinder-dry weather, crews are struggling with
thousands of dead trees left by previous insect infestations.
More than 2,500 firefighters, including 550 soldiers from Fort
Lewis, were assigned to the fires Saturday, working with 108
engines, 37 dozers and 13 helicopters.
The fire was 30 percent contained Sunday, Thomas said.
The fire poses a potential threat to about 845 structures - 300
houses, 120 commercial structures and hundreds of outbuildings in
and around the towns of Winthrop and Conconully. Area residents
have been told to be alert and prepared.
Elsewhere, the Bear Gulch in the Olympic National Forest
increased to 510 acres from 407 Saturday, said forest spokesman
George Rubiaco. It was about 25 percent contained, he said, with 33
firefighters and two helicopters working the flames.
The Flick Creek fire was 50 percent contained on the east shore
of Lake Chelan. That fire has blackened 4,420 acres.
The 4,697-acre Tinpan fire along the Entiat River trail in the
Glacier Peak Wilderness was being managed as a wildland-use fire,
meaning it will be allowed to burn naturally unless it threatens to
go beyond preset boundaries. Nearly 200 people were working the
fire.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

August 21st

WINTHROP, Wash. (AP) - Fire crews are battling several large
blazes in northcentral Washington, along with high temperatures and
a lightning forecast that raised concerns about the potential for
new fire starts.
The National Weather Service issued a "red flag" warning
Monday for all of Eastern Washington due to a high pressure system
moving through the region, bringing high temperatures, low humidity
and thunderstorms.
As a result, the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in
Portland, Ore. positioned fire crews throughout Washington and
Oregon to prepare for any new fire starts, said Vladimir Steblina,
U.S. Forest Service spokesman for the Okanogan and Wenatchee
National Forests.
"When we get these low humidities and high winds - and they're
also predicting dry lightning - fire behavior gets fairly
aggressive," he said. "Everybody is kind of waiting on pins and
needles to see what happens."
Firefighters were forced to re-evaluate the safety of one remote
community at the north end of Lake Chelan after the Flick Creek
fire blew across a ridge and into the Hazard Creek drainage Monday.
The fire was burning in steep, dangerous terrain about 2 miles
from Stehekin, which is reachable only by boat, air, horse or on
foot. However, it was burning at an elevation of 6,500 feet, far
enough from the town that immediate evacuations were not warranted,
said Maria Agnew, spokeswoman for the Chelan County sheriff's
office.
Agnew said authorities would notify residents to be prepared to
evacuate if the fire rolls back to the 3,000-foot elevation, closer
to the town.
The fire has blackened more than seven square miles, or 4,738
acres. It was 50 percent contained Monday.
Stehekin residents can look up and "see fire up there
glowing," fire spokeswoman Cindy Reichelt said Monday night, but
fire bosses "seem to feel pretty comfortable that given the air
attack" they have planned, "this thing isn't going to move too
far down that drainage before they stop it."
Aircraft have been dropping retardant and planned to drop more
and that "slowed it down dramatically," she said, with winds
expected out of the west that should push the fire back on itself.
The largest fire in Washington, the Tripod Complex, has
blackened nearly 190 square miles of forest between the
northcentral towns of Winthrop and Conconully. Firefighters
estimated the fire at 121,596 acres.
More than 2,900 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, which
was 40 percent contained late Monday, fire spokeswoman Nancy Jones
said.
No homes were immediately threatened by the Tripod Complex, but
nine summer cabins were wrapped in a fire retardant material to
shield them, fire spokeswoman Gala Miller said. The cabins are
located about 15 miles north of Winthrop on the Chewuch River.
Residents in the towns of Winthrop and Conconully also have been
told to be alert and prepared. An estimated 845 structures - 300
houses, 120 commercial structures and hundreds of outbuildings sit
in the area.
Just outside Mount Rainier National Park north of the Carbon
River, 250 firefighters were battling the Carbon Copy fire, which
was estimated at 150 acres late Monday.
The fire was burning primarily on private land away from the
park, and firefighters had constructed a fire line around the south
side of the blaze. However, authorities closed the Carbon River
road temporarily at State Route 165, blocking access to Coplay
Lake, Summit Lake, Bearhead Trailhead and the Carbon access to the
park.
Cause of the fire remained under investigation.
No homes were threatened and no injuries were reported.
Elsewhere, the Bear Gulch in the Olympic National Forest was 25
percent contained at 640 acres. The northwest part of Lake Cushman
was closed to allow helicopters to dip for water. The Staircase,
North Fork Skokomish River, Wagon Wheel and Staircase Rapids trails
remained closed, as well as U.S. Forest Service Road 24.
The 4,732-acre Tinpan fire along the Entiat River trail in the
Glacier Peak Wilderness was being managed as a wildland-use fire,
meaning it will be allowed to burn naturally unless it threatens to
go beyond preset boundaries. Nearly 200 people were working the
fire.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

New Fire...August 21st

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A timber and brush fire that broke out
Monday night threatened several homes in north Spokane County, a
fire spokesman said.
No mandatory evacuation order was in place but firefighters had
asked the residents of some three homes to leave and they did so,
said Pat Humphries, a Spokane County Fire District 4 spokesman.
The fire, reported shortly after 9:30 p.m., had covered 10-15
acres by late Monday night, he said.
The fire was burning on a hillside west of U.S. Highway 395,
near the Wandermere Golf Course.
No structures have burned but as many as eight homes were
threatened, three on one side of the hill and another four to five
on the other side, Humphries said.
Several bulldozers were working to flank the sides of the fire
and try to pinch it off; some 30 state Department of Natural
Resources and District 4 firefighters were attacking the blaze.
"We can see a fire over the hill," Rick Osterback of Double
Eagle Stables told KREM-TV. "We're in the process of loading up
our horses right now."
The stable was home to 50 horses and "we're just trying to get
our horses out of harm's way," he said,
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

August 22nd

DAYTON, Wash. (AP) - Wind-driven wildfires near this southeast
Washington town raced across more than 15,000 acres Tuesday,
prompting authorities to tell as many as 300 nearby residents to
leave. Some 35 residents of a nursing home were evacuated due to
heavy smoke.
Much of Eastern Washington remained under a "red flag" warning
for extreme fire threat. Weather forecasters predicted scattered
thunderstorms, wind and low humidity that could increase the
danger, as firefighters battled some half-dozen blazes around the
state.
Lightning sparked the Columbia County Complex fires late Monday
evening, and by Tuesday night, the blaze had grown to more than
15,000 acres, or more than 23 square miles. The fire was burning in
grass, brush, trees and wheat fields.
Some 300 firefighters from all over the state focused on
protecting homes, said Ray Steiger, a spokesman for the management
team on the fire.
No residences had burned as of late Tuesday night although
flames claimed some outbuildings and a couple of vehicles, Steiger
said.
No injuries were reported and the main fires were burning to the
south-southeast, away from this community of about 2,700 people.
As many as 300 residents, mostly in some 200 scattered ranch
houses, were told to evacuate, Steiger said. The Red Cross set up a
shelter at a local elementary school.
Three or four patients at a small rural Dayton hospital were
evacuated, also due to smoky air concerns, he said.
With steady winds of 20-25 mph and gusts to 30 mph, Tuesday's
emphasis was on protecting homes, Steiger said.
"The guys doing structure protection did a tremendous job
today," he said. "Some of that grass burns fast and hot and they
were standing right there and protecting" the homes.
Winds eased Tuesday night.
The state's largest fire remains the Tripod Complex between
Winthrop and Conconully. The fire has blackened nearly 190 square
miles, or 121,596 acres, of forested land in northcentral
Washington, and was 40 percent contained.
Nearly 3,000 firefighters were assigned to the fire. Extreme
fire behavior forced dozens of firefighters to retreat as the blaze
pushed to the northeast Monday into the Loomis State Forest.
However, the community of Loomis remained safe, about eight miles
from the fire, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Ron DeHart.
No structures have burned, and no homes have been evacuated.
To the west, the Flick Creek and Tinpan fires were relatively
quiet Tuesday, said Cindy Reichelt, spokeswoman for the state team
handling the fires.
The 5,142-acre Tinpan fire along the Entiat River trail in the
Glacier Peak Wilderness was being managed as a wildland-use fire,
meaning it will be allowed to burn naturally unless it threatens to
go beyond preset boundaries.
The Flick Creek fire on the east shore of Lake Chelan has
threatened the remote community of Stehekin several times. Stehekin
is reachable only by boat, air, horse or on foot.
However, the fire continued to burn at a high enough elevation
Tuesday that homes in Stehekin remained safe, Reichelt said. One
spot on a ridge in Purple Creek spewed smoke, but fire crews could
not work in the steep terrain and air tankers were transferred to
other blazes in the state, she said.
The fire has blackened more than seven square miles, or 4,822
acres. It was 40 percent contained Tuesday.
Lightning sparked the Tripod Complex and Tinpan fires last
month, while the Flick Creek fire resulted from an illegal
campfire.
Authorities were still investigating the cause of a 40-acre
wildfire west of U.S. Highway 395 in north Spokane County. Fire
crews had constructed lines around the entire fire Tuesday and were
mopping up hot spots, said Rette Bidstrup of the state Department
of Natural Resources.
Just outside Mount Rainier National Park north of the Carbon
River, 242 firefighters were battling the Carbon Copy fire, which
was estimated at 150 acres Tuesday.
The fire was burning primarily on private land away from the
park, and firefighters had constructed a fire line around the south
side of the blaze.
The fire was believed to have been human-caused, but remained
under investigation.
No homes were threatened and no injuries were reported.
Elsewhere, the Bear Gulch fire in the Olympic National Forest
was 25 percent contained at 640 acres.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

August 23rd evening update

CONCONULLY, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Chris Gregoire has declared a
statewide wildfire emergency citing fires already burning and the
potential for more as forecasters continue to predict
thunderstorms, high winds and low humidity in many areas.
"Numerous wildfires across Washington pose a serious threat to
homes, infrastructure, businesses and natural resources ... and our
firefighting resources have begun to grow scarce," Gregoire said
Wednesday following a helicopter tour of the state's largest fire,
the Tripod complex in northcentral Washington.
The proclamation frees state agencies to spend money and
resources to help local jurisdictions fight wildfires.
"Those are the sorts of things that help us in terms of making
it easier to get resources," said Ray Steiger, an information
officer at the Columbia County fire complex in southeastern
Washington.
The biggest fire in Columbia County, the Payne Hollow fire south
of Dayton, almost doubled in size in about 24 hours to an estimated
25,000 acres Wednesday, nearly 40 square miles. The fire complex
covered about 34,000 acres, more than 53 square miles.
The lightning-caused Columbia County fires have destroyed two
residences and 10 outbuildings, Lisa Caldwell, a county emergency
management official, said Wednesday night. One firefighter was
treated for a knee injury, she said.
An unknown number of residents along a roughly five-mile stretch
of the Tucannon River were told to evacuate Wednesday, as were some
residents on Robinette Mountain and along Wolf Fork Road, she
added.
In nearby Walla Walla County, also in southeastern Washington,
the Coppei Fire -part of the three-fire Coppei complex - had
charred 2,000 acres, Caldwell said, and some residents along Coppei
Creek were urged to evacuate. She said she didn't know how many
homes were affected.
Thirty-five residents evacuated Tuesday from a nursing home in
Dayton were allowed to return after smoke from the Columbia County
complex had cleared, and residents of some of the 200 homes that
were evacuated also came back, Steiger said.
In contrast to the forecast for most other wildfire-prone parts
of the state, firefighters in the southeast corner were relieved by
predictions of lower winds, temperatures and humidity early
Thursday, officials said.
The governor flew over the 200-square-mile Tripod complex in a
Blackhawk helicopter as flames leaped 100 feet into the air. Nearly
3,000 firefighters were assigned to those fires, which were burning
between Winthrop and Conconully and were 40 percent contained.
Afterward Gregoire met with fire officials and area residents.
"It's very rugged terrain," Gregoire said. "The firefighters
go in and put up a line, and the fire will jump a mile over the
line. They're doing a great job of thus far being able to protect
the community, which is priority number one. We're just hoping now
the weather cooperates."
Instead, the forecast called for more thunderstorms, high winds
and low humidity after lightning started several new fires in
tinder dry, bug-killed timber in the Okanogan and Wenatchee
national forests. One in the Cedar Creek drainage south of State
Route 20 had reached 600 acres.
To the west, the Flick Creek and Tinpan fires were each burning
more than 5,000 acres, roughly 8 square miles.
The Tinpan fire along the Entiat River trail in the Glacier Peak
Wilderness was being managed as a wildland-use fire, allowed to
burn naturally unless it threatens to go beyond preset boundaries.
The Flick Creek fire on the east shore of Lake Chelan was 40
percent contained.
Lightning started the Tripod and Tinpan fires last month, while
the Flick Creek fire resulted from an illegal campfire.
West of the crest of the Cascade Range, just northwest of Mount
Rainier National Park and north of the Carbon River, 242
firefighters were battling the human-caused Carbon Copy fire, which
was estimated 5 percent contained at 160 acres on Wednesday.
The fire was burning primarily on private land away from the
park, and firefighters had constructed a fire line around the south
side of the blaze.
No homes were threatened and no injuries were reported.
The Bear Gulch fire in the Olympic National Forest was 25
percent contained at 750 acres.

[NJFFSA16]

August 24th 2006

DAYTON, Wash. (AP) - Firefighters from Arizona, Oregon and New
Mexico joined the fight Thursday against a group of fast-growing
wildfires in southeastern Washington, and officials said they still
need more help.
"The call has gone out," said Louise Day, fire information
officer at the Columbia County fires. "The growth potential for
the fires is still extreme."
Two hundred buildings were threatened by the fires, which
covered nearly 100 square miles near Dayton on Thursday - up from
53 square miles Wednesday. Two homes had been destroyed, 35
outbuildings had been damaged and about 300 people had been urged
to evacuate. More than 500 firefighters were battling the blazes.
The state Department of Natural Resources generally keeps
several firefighting teams free for initial attack on new blazes.
But those teams have been busy for weeks, and the state has nearly
exhausted its resources, said Public Lands Commissioner Doug
Sutherland.
On Thursday, Sutherland ordered up a DC-10 jet capable of
dropping as much as eight times more retardant than the usual air
tanker. The giant plane, which is owned by a private contractor,
costs $26,000 an hour, with a minimum of three hours a day.
Sutherland said he expects to use the jetliner, which can drop a
line of retardant 50 feet wide and more than a mile long, for two
days, or about six hours, including travel time from Southern
California.
"It's not inexpensive, but depending on how you use it, it
could very well be less expensive than using other resources that
are currently not even available," he said in a telephone
interview from Olympia.
Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency Wednesday,
allowing state agencies to send money and resources to help local
jurisdictions battle the blazes.
Conditions were better for firefighting Thursday, with lower
winds and temperatures. But forecasts call for higher temperatures
and dry conditions over the weekend and into next week.
In Walla Walla County, in southeastern Washington, some
residents along Coppei Creek were urged to evacuate as three fires
burned nearby.
In eastern Oregon, wildfires burned through tens of thousands of
acres of grass, sagebrush and juniper. Most of the fires were
started by lightning.
"It's been hectic," said Tara Wilson, spokeswoman for
firefighting agencies south of Burns. "We are getting tired, and
our crews are getting tired. Things are stretched pretty thin.
We've just had too much of the high winds, and the fires are pretty
erratic in their behavior. It's going to be a long fight."
In Montana, firefighters continued to battle a blaze in a
subdivision east of Billings that had burned nearly 3,900 acres -
or roughly 6 square miles. It was 85 percent contained by Thursday
evening.
More than 7 million acres, about 11,000 square miles, have
burned across the U.S. this year, well above the average of about
4.4 million acres by this time of year, according to the National
Interagency Fire Center.
---
On the Net:
Nat'l Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov/

[NJFFSA16]

August 27th 2006

By PEGGY ANDERSEN
Associated Press Writer
Thousands of firefighters battled hot weather again Sunday -
with even higher temperatures forecast Monday - as they worked to
corral stubborn wildfires burning across Washington state.
"Red-flag" conditions - based on high temperatures and low
humidity - were forecast Monday on the Columbia Complex of fires in
the southeast corner of the state, fire spokesman Charlie Armiger
said. But a cold front due Tuesday should cool things down later in
the week, forecasters said.
No major runs were reported on the fires Sunday, and most
continued to grow slowly.
Flames from the Columbia Complex spread onto the Umatilla
National Forest, burning about 60 to 80 acres of the federal land
southeast of Dayton, fire spokesman Neal Kephart said.
Updated mapping allowed fire bosses to reduce the estimated size
of the Columbia Complex 64,171 acres, or about 100 square miles. It
had been listed at about 70,000 acres Saturday night. The fires
that make up the complex began with lightning strikes Monday.
Fire officials continued to discourage gawkers from getting near
the fire scene.
"We're asking people to stay out of the fire area," Kephart
said. "Some of the onlookers have somewhat hampered firefighting
efforts, blocking roads and so forth."
Some area cabins also were evacuated Saturday, but no additional
evacuations had been ordered by midday Sunday, and no additional
structures were reported damaged or lost, he said.
Meanwhile, a heavy helicopter capable of carrying a 900-gallon
water bucket arrived to back up two smaller, 300-gallon-bucket
copters, Kephart said. A specially equipped DC-10 capable of
carrying 12,000 gallons of fire retardant is also working the fire,
generating some of the onlookers' interest.
Fresh ground crews arrived from British Columbia and Alberta,
Canada, joining 750 already at the scene. More than 100 additional
firefighters were expected, some from as far away as North
Carolina.
The fire remained about 10 percent contained, with no estimate
yet for total containment, he said.
Winds were light Sunday, below 10 mph, but hotter, drier weather
was expected Monday, with highs in the 90s and 100s.
"It's hot and getting hotter," said meteorologist Jonathan Fox
with the National Weather Service in Spokane.
A cold front - dropping temperatures 10 to 15 degrees,
increasing humidity and possibly including some showers - was
expected to move in Tuesday, he said. The cooler weather also will
bring more wind, but it is hoped the cooler, damper conditions will
counter the wind's impact, Fox said.
By Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures could drop into the 60s
and 70s, he said - well below normal for this time of year.
"The worst-case fire weather is where you combine strong winds,
low relative humidity" and high temperatures, he said. "If you've
got real strong winds and temperatures in the 90s and 100s - that
leads to extreme fire behavior. The winds just kind of fan the
flames."
When humidity rises, it counteracts the wind to some extent and
fire doesn't spread as easily, Fox said.
Here are updates on the state's other major fires:
-Tripod Complex, Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests between
Winthrop and Concunully, estimated at 138,733 acres or about 217
square miles, 48 percent contained. Fires started July 3 and 24. On
site: 1,977 firefighters and support personnel, 12 helicopters of
various capabilities, 77 engines, 28 bulldozers, 69 300-gallon
water-tender trucks.
Winthrop and Concunully are open for business, fire managers
note.
-The Flick Creek fire, on the eastern shore of Lake Chelan in
the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, 5,160 acres or about eight
square miles, 40 percent contained. A human-caused fire that began
July 26. On site: 17 firefighters, one helicopter.
Stehekin, at the north end of the lake, is welcoming visitors
though there are some campground and trail closures in the area.
-The Tinpan fire, Glacier Peak Wilderness, 5,551 acres or about
8,6 square miles. Being allowed to burn naturally within preset
boundaries. Started by lighting July 6. On site: 107 firefighters,
two helicopters.
---
Associated Press newsman Rory Marshall contributed to this
report.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

August 28th

DAYTON, Wash. (AP) - After battling Washington wildfires under
"red flag" conditions of high temperatures, winds and low
humidity, fire bosses crossed their fingers that cooler weather
expected to move into Eastern Washington would bring much-needed
relief.
But the cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity could
be a mixed bag, as the weather front could be accompanied by high
winds and lightning, which could drive existing fires and spark new
ones, fire spokesmen said.
A cold front - expected to drop temperatures 10 to 15 degrees
from current area highs in the 90s - was expected to move in
Tuesday, National Weather Service meteorologist Jonathan Fox said.
The cooler weather also will bring more wind, but it is hoped the
cooler, damper conditions will counter the wind's impact, Fox said
Monday.
By Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures could drop into the 60s
and 70s, he said. That is well below normal for this time of year.
The forecast change comes after "red-flag" warnings were
issued for both the Columbia Complex fires in southeastern
Washington and the Tripod Complex in the northcentral part of the
state.
While the weather was in transition, management of the massive
Columbia Complex of fires near Dayton also was changing.
A "Type 1" management team, experienced in handling larger,
more complex fires, was expected to take over fire boss duties on
Tuesday, spokesman Craig McCaa said.
"It's a sign of the continued concentration on this fire, given
the weather and structures that are threatened," he said.
Evacuation orders remained in effect for some vacation cabins
and homes in several drainages, according to an online update. Two
residences and several dozen outbuildings were burned last week by
the Columbia Complex fires.
The Columbia Complex has burned across more than 64,171 acres,
or about 103 square miles, and was reported 20 percent contained
Monday. The fires that make up the complex began with lightning
strikes Aug. 21.
The fires were being fought by about 735 firefighters, including
ground crews from British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.
Firefighters working the fire come from Alaska, Louisiana,
Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona, California, Oregon,
Idaho and Colorado.
"I don't think there are many states that are not represented
here. It's a big family we got here," fire information officer
Virgil Mink said.
At the Tripod Complex in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National
Forests, crews on Monday focused on spot fires burning near and in
the Pasayten Wilderness, spokeswoman Diane Bedell said.
"There has been some very active burning in the northeastern
corner and it has pushed into the Pasayten Wilderness a bit," she
said.
The fire slopped over into the wilderness area near a feature
called Hickey's Hump. She did not know how many acres had burned in
the roadless area.
Crews were pulled off the fire at midday Monday when
temperature, humidity and wind speed combined to trigger a safety
alert, Bedell said.
The fires had blackened more than 139,568 acres, or about 218
square miles of timber and brush.
The fires that make up the complex, between Winthrop and
Conconully, were started by lightning in July and were about 50
percent contained.
The towns of Winthrop and Conconully are open for business
despite the fires, which are not likely to be fully contained until
Oct. 1, fire managers noted.
Meanwhile, Whitman County officials declared the 3,500-acre
Palouse River fire fully contained. The fire, believed to have
started last Wednesday from sparks from a harvest combine,
destroyed a grain elevator and railroad trestle near the town of
Colfax, but no homes were damaged.
Updates on the state's other major wildfires:
-The Flick Creek fire, on the eastern shore of Lake Chelan, had
covered 5,191 acres, or about eight square miles, and was 40
percent contained. The human-caused fire began July 26.
Stehekin, at the north end of the lake, is welcoming visitors
though there are some campground and trail closures in the area.
-The Tinpan fire, in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, had covered
6,183 acres or about 8.6 square miles. Started by lightning July 6,
it was being allowed to burn naturally within preset boundaries.
-The Tatoosh Complex, north of Mazama in the Pasayten
Wilderness, had burned across 2,550 acres and was being monitored.
That fire activity began Aug. 22 with lightning.
-The Carbon Copy fire near the northwest boundary of Mount
Rainier National Park had burned across 220 acres and was about 60
percent contained. In the same complex, the Bear Gulch fire, about
15 miles northwest of Hoodsport, was at 750 acres and about 25
percent contained.
-About 90 firefighters were battling a 12-acre fire burning
about four miles north of the Snohomish County town of Granite
Falls. The fire was about 75 percent contained and was not
considered a threat to homes late Monday, according to fire
information officer Nancy Joseph. That fire started Sunday evening
and its cause was under investigation.


(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

August 29, 2006

WINTHROP, Wash. (AP) - The huge Tripod wildfire burning in
northcentral Washington grew by nearly 3,000 acres in 24 hours, but
more favorable weather conditions were helping firefighters on
Tuesday.
The lightning-caused fire escaped north into the Pasayten
Wilderness, growing some 2,800 acres, during hot and windy
conditions Monday, fire spokesman Bud Nelson said. Firefighters
were pulled from the lines because of unsafe conditions.
The fire now covers about 142,326 acres, or about 222 square
miles, Nelson said.
"Today, where weather is more in our favor - with higher
humidity and lower temperatures and not as much wind - fire crews
will make a direct attack on the fire," Nelson said.
There are 1,562 people battling the Tripod Complex fire, and it
is about 48 percent trailed, he said.
Inside the wilderness boundaries, no mechanized equipment can be
used to fight the flames, though aircraft can drop water, Nelson
said.
Businesses in the nearby towns of Winthrop, Conconully and
Loomis are open, he noted. The fire is between Winthrop and
Conconully in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests.
A cold front dropped temperatures 10 to 15 degrees from highs in
the 90s east of the Cascade Range as it crossed the state Tuesday,
carrying a chance of showers by Wednesday, according to National
Weather Service forecasts.
By Thursday temperatures could drop into the 60s and 70s across
the state, well below normal for this time of year, forecasters
said.
Meanwhile, the Columbia Complex of fires have blackened more
than 64,171 acres, or about 103 square miles near Dayton in
southeastern Washington.
The Columbia Complex, ignited by lightning on Aug. 21, was
reported 20 percent contained and was being fought by about 735
firefighters.
Among the state's other major wildfires:
-The human-caused Flick Creek fire on the eastern shore of Lake
Chelan had covered 5,191 acres, about eight square miles, and was
40 percent contained.
-The lightning-caused Tinpan fire in the Glacier Peak
Wilderness, covered 6,183 acres, about 8.6 square miles, and was
being allowed to burn naturally within preset boundaries.
-The lightning-caused Tatoosh Complex, north of Mazama in the
Pasayten, covered 2,550 acres, about four square miles, and was
being monitored.
-The Carbon Copy fire near the northwest boundary of Mount
Rainier National Park covered 220 acres and was about 60 percent
contained.
-The Bear Gulch fire near Olympic National Park stood at 800
acres and was 60 percent trailed.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

9/3/06

Two biggest Washington wildfires grow


DAYTON, Wash. (AP) - Washington's two largest wildfires grew
today.
Warm, dry conditions helped the Columbia Complex of fires near
Dayton increase by about 4,000 acres on both yesterday and today.
They covered 88,652 acres by this evening.
Most of the fire growth was on the north end of the fire, with
the blaze moving toward Eastern Washington's big burn of last year.
The School Fire broke out on August 5th, 2005, and burned nearly
50,000 acres, and 109 houses before it was extinguished two weeks
later.
Fire spokesman Craig McCaa (pronounced McKay) told The
Associated Press that some of the weekend's growth resulted from
burnout operations. One of the highest priorities of the 1,754
firefighters working on the fire today was to get ready to protect
the Bluewood Ski Area east of Walla Walla, although the south flank
of the fire was still miles north of the resort.
McCaa says relatively quiet winds, averaging 8 miles per hour,
kept the Columbia Complex from growing as fast as the temperatures
in the 80s and 90s could have encouraged.
The weather forecast called for slightly cooler temperatures,
but gusting winds in the afternoon and a slight chance of
thunderstorms on both tomorrow and Tuesday.
Fire spokesman Greg Thayer says smoke kept fire officials from
getting an accurate measurement today of the Tripod Complex of
Fires northeast of Winthrop.
Thayer says the fire complex was 151,000 acres by this evening,
but was probably a few thousand acres larger.
Warm, dry conditions kept the fire moving today.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[k1500chevy97]

Hope we get another 3 day state mob call out to Dayton.
Thats some good income right there

[NJFFSA16]

9/4/06

MAZAMA, Wash. (AP) - Fires were burning across more than 270,000
acres in Washington state on Monday, and wildfire ash fell in the
remote northcentral Washington community of Stehekin - although not
from the nearby fire that has menaced the town for weeks.
Southerly winds brought the ash, not from the nearby Flick Creek
fire, but from the Tinpan Fire burning in the Glacier Peak
Wilderness, fire spokeswoman Jane Weber said.
The Flick Creek fire on the east shore of Lake Chelan is now
estimated to have burned 5,720 acres and was 40 percent contained.
It is burning on steep slopes above Stehekin, where residents
remain prepared to evacuate if need be.
Still "no evacuation is imminent, and residents and vacationers
had the opportunity to enjoy the Labor Day weekend in Stehekin,"
Weber said.
About 100 firefighters were working the lightning-caused
7,081-acre Tinpan fire.
A "red flag" warning for low humidity and gusty winds was
issued for the lightning-caused Tatoosh and Cedar Complex of fires,
north and south of Mazama in the Pasayten Wilderness.
The complex has burned more than 32,000 acres, or 50 square
miles, crossing the Pasayten River to the northwest and moving into
Canada.
Firefighters continued suppression and structure protection
Monday, while U.S. fire managers worked with a British Columbia
incident management team.
About 1,572 fire crew members were working the Tripod Complex
northeast of Winthrop. That complex had burned 240 square miles, or
153,836 acres. It was 56 percent contained.
Temperatures throughout much of northcentral Washington were
expected to be in the 80s Tuesday.
In southeast Washington, the Columbia Complex of fires was 25
percent contained at 88,652 acres Monday, more than 138 square
miles.
Over the Labor Day weekend, warm, dry weather helped those fires
increase about 4,000 acres, mostly at the north end where the blaze
moved toward the site of the August 2005 School fire that burned
50,000 acres and 109 houses.
In Western Washington, the Dewatto fire on the Kitsap Peninsula,
near Hood Canal, has burned more than 160 acres and prompted the
evacuation of a Boy Scout camp and several homes. Helicopters
dropped water over the holiday weekend and more than 140
firefighters worked on extinguishing hot spots Monday.
Fire spokeswoman Koshare Lomnicki said the fire was 20 percent
contained.
A fire reported Sunday along the west fork of the White River,
about 17 miles southeast of Buckley in Pierce County, quickly
spread to 350 acres in steep, brush- and tree-covered terrain, said
Allen Gibbs of the Forest Service. No homes were threatened.
Firefighters from nearby Mount Rainier National Park were fighting
the 7440 Fire, as were Forest Service crews, while three
helicopters dropped water Monday.
Other Washington fires of note:
-A 327-acre wildfire on Quinns Meadows Road near Colville, in
northeast Washington, was 85 percent contained.
-The Carbon Copy Complex near Carbonado in Western Washington
covered 280 acres and was 75 percent contained.
-The Bear Gulch fire near Olympic National Park stood at 800
acres and was 60 percent trailed.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Sept 6th

MAZAMA, Wash. (AP) - A second wildfire approached the Canadian
border Wednesday, authorities watched nervously for new fires
following a round of dry lightning strikes in Eastern Washington
and outdoor burning was banned around Seattle.
Firefighters responded to more than a dozen small fires Tuesday
following weekend storms in which the state was zapped by more than
80 lightning strikes. Lightning also was blamed for new fires to
the south in Oregon.
In addition to fighting a dozen large fires already burning
across the state, fire crews waited to see if any new starts would
need to be doused.
"You don't realize you even have a problem until days later,"
said Dan Eikum, assistant state fire marshal. "Weather forecasters
are predicting more of the same for at least the next two weeks,
and maybe the entire month, which is not good news all the way
around."
Gov. Chris Gregoire echoed that concern.
"We are, by no means, out of danger. In fact, we are in a very
troubling period right now," Gregoire said Tuesday. "We remained
concerned. Our resources are limited."
Citing a growing fire danger west of the Cascades, state and
local officials imposed a near-total ban on outdoor burning in
King, Pierce, Kitsap and Mason counties from Wednesday morning
until the central Puget Sound area receives significant rain. The
only exception is for propane and charcoal barbecue cookers.
More than 3,300 firefighters were assigned to the state's 10
largest fires, which have burned nearly 468 square miles.
The priority remained the Columbia complex, which was 40 percent
contained Wednesday. The fire has blackened 145 square miles, or
93,225 acres, near Dayton in southeast Washington.
The Columbia County sheriff's office reopened two roads, but
several hundred residents remained evacuated, said Virgil Mink, a
U.S. Forest Service fire information officer. More than 1,600
firefighters were assigned to the blaze, focusing on structure
protection and strengthening fire lines to protect the Bluewood Ski
Resort about 6 miles away.
Firefighters also attacked more than a dozen small
lightning-caused fires in the Umatilla National Forest, the largest
about 100 acres.
In northcentral Washington, 1,393 people were on the fire lines
northeast of Winthrop at the state's largest burn, the Tripod
complex, which has consumed 163,098 acres, or almost 255 square
miles, and was 56 percent contained. The northern flank of the fire
was within a mile of the Canadian border near Haig Mountain.
On Monday, the fire destroyed the historic Big Horn Cabin in
Horseshoe Basin, about 16 miles northwest of Loomis. The cabin had
been used by wilderness rangers and was not open to the public,
said Mark Pepin, spokesman for the Okanogan and Wenatchee National
Forests.
Canadian fire crews were monitoring the Tripod fire, as well as
the 34,000-acre Tatoosh fire, which previously burned from the
Pasayten Wilderness Area into British Columbia between Manning and
Cathedral provincial parks, about 125 miles east of Vancouver.
An evacuation alert was issued to an undetermined number of
residents "to get people ready ... in case they do have to leave
on short notice," said Mary Ann Leach of the Kamloops, British
Columbia, Fire Center.
Fire information officer Jeff Moore said Tuesday the fire was
"zero percent contained" in Canada because heavy smoke had kept
firefighters from getting close to the burn.
The entire Pasayten Wilderness Area was closed to recreation.
To the south, a new lightning-sparked fire burned 200 acres in
steep, rugged terrain within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area 20
miles northwest of Cle Elum in the central Cascades. Some popular
hiking trails were closed because of the Polallie fire, Forest
Service spokeswoman Robin DeMario said.
Lightning also started two other small fires near Cle Elum, as
well as a fire near Naches northwest of Yakima.
Other fires of note:
-In northcentral Washington, about 100 firefighters were working
the lightning-caused 7,457-acre Tinpan fire, while the 5,771-acre
Flick Creek fire was 40 percent contained. The Flick Creek fire was
burning on the east shore of Lake Chelan, while the Tinpan fire was
burning in the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area.
-The 327-acre Quinn's Meadow wildfire near Colville was 75
percent contained.
-In Western Washington, the Dewatto fire near Hood Canal was 50
percent contained at 160 acres. Two homes, a Boy Scout camp and two
campgrounds remained under a mandatory evacuation. The 800-acre
Bear Gulch fire near Olympic National Park and was 60 percent
trailed, and crews were monitoring the 280-acres Carbon Copy
complex near Carbonado, which was 75 percent contained.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Not enough help to go around on Washington fires

By SHANNON DININNY
Associated Press Writer
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Summer is nearly over, but you wouldn't
know it by the high temperatures, dry lightning storms and blazing
wildfires across the Pacific Northwest.
The timing couldn't be worse, with seasonal firefighters poised
to return to college and other jobs elsewhere.
In just the past week, more than 100 requests for a 20-person
fire crew went unfilled in Washington and Oregon alone, said Kathy
Fletcher, spokeswoman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination
Center in Portland, Ore.
At the Yakama Indian Reservation in central Washington, fire
managers have waited for more crews to arrive to help fight a
lightning-sparked wildfire that has grown rapidly in remote, rugged
forest. In Washington's central Cascade Mountains, the Polallie
fire burned unabated as fire managers, with no local firefighters
available, waited for a national crew to arrive.
The center estimates state and federal agencies, as well as
contract fire crews, will lose 15 percent of their firefighters as
they return to college and other jobs in the next few weeks, while
forecasters have predicted more of the same hot, dry weather.
"The extended forecast indicates no relief," Fletcher said.
"The good news is the days are getting shorter and the nights are
getting cooler, which helps in the firefighting efforts."
On Thursday, the two top priority wildfires for national
resources were in Washington state, with more than 3,000
firefighters assigned to the Tripod complex and Columbia complex.
The lightning-caused Columbia complex, near the farming
community of Dayton, has blackened 150 square miles of wheat
fields, brush and forest in southeastern Washington. The fire was
45 percent contained Thursday.
In north-central Washington, firefighters continued their battle
on the massive Tripod complex, about seven miles northwest of
Winthrop. Just one of three wildfires burning in the Pasayten
Wilderness Area, the Tripod complex has burned nearly 258 square
miles.
At its northern flank, the fire was burning more than a mile
south of the Canadian border. No structures were immediately
threatened, and the blaze was 56 percent contained.
The Tatoosh complex, 18 miles northwest of Mazama, was estimated
at 34,000 acres and had already burned into Canada, where the fire
was burning actively. U.S. and Canadian fire managers also were
monitoring the Van Peak fire, which was burning between the Tripod
and Tatoosh fires about five miles south of the border.
Residents in Mazama remained on notice they could have to
evacuate if the Cedar Creek fire grows. That blaze, estimated at
about two square miles or 1,450 acres southwest of town, was 40
percent contained Thursday.
Farther south, some residents in the remote community of
Stehekin were warned - yet again - they might have to flee the
Flick Creek fire on the east shore of Lake Chelan. The fire,
estimated at 5,812 acres, has been threatening the town since it
was accidentally started by a campfire July 26.
The town of about 100 full-time residents sits at the end of
Lake Chelan, reachable only by boat, floatplane, horse or on foot.
The fire was backing down the Hazard Creek drainage toward
Stehekin, but remained about a mile away from the boat landing,
said Betty Higgins, fire information officer.
"Water is being dropped right below the fire to calm it down,
but we do have hot and dry conditions," Higgins said.
The Tinpan fire in the Glacier Peak Wilderness also grew, to
7,930 acres, or about 12 square miles. Roughly 108 firefighters
were assigned to the blaze.
Additional firefighters and resources arrived at some of the
newer blazes, all caused by lightning. Twenty firefighters worked
to protect structures near the Polallie fire, 15 miles northwest of
Cle Elum in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
The fire forced the closure of Cle Elum Valley, a box canyon
with more than 25 summer homes and several campsites.
A state crew arrived Thursday to assist tribal, local and
federal firefighters on the Yakama Indian Reservation. Lightning
earlier this week started three fires in all on the reservation.
The fires were burning in a rural area near the Klickitat River.
Just one was contained, said Edwin Lewis, forest manager for the
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
No structures were threatened.
In the meantime, fire managers urged people to be aware of
conditions and restrictions on public lands. Numerous trail and
road closures and campfire restrictions are in place across the
region, said Fletcher from the Portland center.
"With the extension of fire season, folks should be safe - know
where they're going and what they're getting into," Fletcher said.
"That's always true, but even more so now."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)