Your Hometown News Source
Your Hometown News Source
Firefighters watching for Spot Fires along Forest Service Road 40.
Gas N Go received a plaque from the Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team Type 3 Team 1, who responded to the Lower Granite Fire, thanking them for their support. The convenience store donated water, cold drinks, and food to the team while they were in Pomeroy. "They save us. It's our duty to help them," said Maninder Singh, partner in Gas N Go.
POMEROY––The Cougar Creek Fire, located in the Umatilla National Forest primarily in Asotin County and north of the Washington-Oregon border, has topped 24,000 acres since it began July 15 of unknown origin. Suppression efforts have been fruitful as crews on the fire begin demobilization activities.
Containment is estimated at 80% as of the Washington Department of Natural Resources incident report on August 19. There are 226 fire personnel on the job, working toward full suppression with four crews, 18 engines, eight water tenders and three heavy equipment pieces.
Forest road closures have been reduced. Descriptions and maps are available online on the Umatilla National Forest closure website. The public is requested to respect area closure orders and use extra caution while driving for your safety as well as firefighters. All evacuation orders have been lifted.
Wildland firefighting crews continue to engage a steep and rugged section between Mt. Horrible and Saddle Butte area along the 40 road, according to the August 19 update. With the steep and rugged terrain, crews continue to evaluate their surroundings before engagement to maintain a safe pace and appropriate risk evaluation.
Along the 43 road and between Indian Tom to Willow Spring Saddle, crews continue to patrol the area for missed or rekindled hotspots, the report said. Equipment, such as pumps and hoses, continue to be dismantled and brought back to base camp to be restored to cache. Dozer lines that are not part of the primary containment line continue to be rehabilitated between Cougar Creek and Grouse Flats in the southern section of the fire.
Demobilization of fire crews and camp facilities will be a focus for the incident management team on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week in a continuation right size the needed resources for the fire. Crews that are demobilized will be assigned to aid nearby wildfires or are returning to their home units. The incident management team is anticipating returning command to the local district on Thursday, August 22.
Rapellers and firefighting aircraft have responded to the Eagle Cap Wilderness as of Monday, August 19, on the Boulder Creek Fire, according to Walter Lowell of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Baker City, Ore.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined. While there are currently no evacuation or closure orders for the 150-acre fire located a few miles northwest of Boulder Park in Union County, the Little Boulder Trail could be impacted. The public is being asked to be aware of the fire situation before heading into the Eagle Cap Wilderness from Boulder Park.
Several fires were quickly spotted and suppressed across the forest during this weekend storm, Lowell indicated. All but the Boulder Creek Fire and the 22-acre Lyle Fire, west of Sumpter, were caught before they grew past four to five acres, he said. Firefighters report making good suppression progress on the Lyle Fire
Firefighters are adopting a contain/confine strategy to the fire due to the rugged terrain with difficult access.
One of the largest fires in the region, the Battle Mountain Complex, located in the Blue Mountains west of LaGrande, Ore., is apparently winding down with containment at 94% as of the August 20 report.
The fire has topped 183,026 acres at a cost of $81 million, with 490 personnel on the scene. As of Tuesday, August 20, management of the fire was transferred to a Type 3 organization, based in Heppner, Ore.
