Incident Publication

Park Fire Update: Monday, September 9, 2024

Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 2

Incident Commander John Truett

Size: 429,603 acres 

Start Date: July 24, 2024

Containment: 99 percent

Total Personnel: 563

Resources: 1 helicopter, 7 crews, 8 engines, 4 dozers, 17 water tenders, 3 chippers, 10 excavators, 3 feller bunchers, 4 skidders, 2 log loaders, 1 backhoe, 5 road graders

CURRENT SITUATION: The hazard tree group is continuing to clean up dead hazard trees that were felled along Ponderosa Way. The roads group will finish Pearl Lake Loop today and Bear Wallow Road in a couple days. While repair activity progresses on the Park Fire, the need for fire-suppression personnel and equipment across the western United States remains high. Some Park Fire resources are being reassigned to other incidents and others are being sent home for crew rest. Community members might notice a decrease in personnel, equipment, and activity; however, fire-suppression repair work and fire patrols will continue, just at a smaller scale. 

One type of machine being used by the hazard-tree group is a feller buncher. They are extraordinary machines capable of grabbing one or more full-sized trees, cutting them off near the base and stacking or even throwing them whole onto a pile. They operate on tracks or wheels. Tracked units tend to disrupt the soil less than wheeled units, so they are being used on the Park Fire. There are three types of head used on feller bunchers: felling heads, which fell single trees; bunching heads, which fell multiple trees at a time; and processing heads, which fell a tree and process it by removing all the branches and cutting the trunk into sections. 

WEATHER & FIRE SAFETY: Hazy, smoky skies are the result of fires in other states. Get air-quality information for your area and view a smoke map here: tinyurl.com/ypkfbkyn. While temperatures will gradually moderate throughout the week, relative humidity levels remain very low and winds remain gusty, increasing the potential for new fires to spread quickly. Be particularly cautious while recreating and using equipment outdoors, and be aware of applicable fire restrictions.

FOREST CLOSURE: Some Lassen National Forest lands, roads, and trails near the fire area are temporarily closed for the safety of the public and firefighters during the repair phase of the fire. Prior to recreating on your public lands, view Forest Order No. 06-24-07 and the map here: fs.usda.gov/alerts/lassen/alerts-notices. It is your responsibility to know where you are in relation to the closure order.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Fire restrictions remain in effect throughout the area. For details, view Forest Order No. 06-24-04 here: fs.usda.gov/alerts/lassen/alerts-notices. Find links to other land management agencies’ restrictions in the Park Fire Information Linktree (URL and QR code below).

Park Fire Information (Southwest CIMT 2): 530-414-9298 |  2024.park@firenet.gov

Park Fire Linktree (fire information website links): linktr.ee/park_fire

Actualización Sobre Incendio Park: Lunes, 9 de Septiembre de 2024

Administración De Incidentes Complejos Del Área Suroeste - Equipo 2

John Truett - Comandante Del Incidente 

Tamaño: 429,603 acres

Fecha de Inicio: 24 de Julio de 2024

Contencion: 99%

Personal Total: 563

Recursos: 1 helicóptero, 7 cuadrillas, 8 camiones de bomberos, 4 topadoras, 17 camiones de agua, 3 astilladoras, 10 excavadoras, 3 máquinas para talar árboles, 4 minicargadoras, 2 apiladoras, 1 retroexcavadora, 5 motoniveladoras

SITUACIÓN ACTUAL: El equipo de árboles peligrosos continúa limpiando los árboles muertos que fueron talados a lo largo de Ponderosa Way. El equipo de carreteras terminará Pearl Lake Loop hoy y Bear Wallow Road en un par de días. Mientras avanza la actividad de reparación en el incendio Park, la necesidad de personal y equipos de extinción de incendios en todo el oeste de los Estados Unidos sigue siendo alta. Algunos recursos del incendio Park están siendo reasignados a otros incidentes y otros están siendo enviados a casa para que el equipo descanse. Los miembros de la comunidad podrían notar una disminución en el personal, el equipo y la actividad; sin embargo, continuarán los trabajos de reparación de extinción de incendios y las patrullas contra incendios, aunque a menor escala. 

Un tipo de máquina que utiliza el equipo de árboles peligrosos es el talador apilador. Son máquinas extraordinarias capaces de agarrar uno o más árboles de tamaño natural, cortarlos cerca de la base y apilarlos o incluso apilarlos enteros. Operan sobre orugas o ruedas. Las unidades con orugas tienden a perturbar menos el suelo que las unidades con ruedas, por lo que se están utilizando en el incendio Park. Hay tres tipos de cabezas utilizados en los taladores apiladores: cabezas de tala, que talan árboles individuales; cabezas agrupadas, que derribaron varios árboles a la vez; y cabezas procesadores, que derriban un árbol y lo procesan quitando todas las ramas y cortando el tronco en secciones.

CLIMA Y SEGURIDAD CONTRA INCENDIOS: Los cielos brumosos y llenos de humo son el resultado de incendios en otros estados. Obtenga información sobre la calidad del aire en su área y vea un mapa de humo aquí: tinyurl.com/ypkfbkyn. Si bien las temperaturas se moderarán gradualmente a lo largo de la semana, los niveles de humedad relativa seguirán siendo muy bajos y los vientos seguirán siendo racheados, lo que aumentará la posibilidad de que nuevos incendios se propaguen rápidamente. Tenga especial cuidado al recrear y utilizar maquinaria al aire libre, y tenga en cuenta las restricciones contra incendios aplicables.

CIERRE DE BOSQUES: Algunos terrenos, caminos y senderos del Bosque Nacional Lassen cerca del área del incendio están cerrados temporalmente por la seguridad del público y de los bomberos durante la fase de reparación del incendio. Antes de recrear en sus tierras públicas, consulte la Orden Forestal No. 06-24-07 y el mapa aquí: fs.usda.gov/alerts/lassen/alerts-notices. Es su responsabilidad saber dónde se encuentra en relación con la orden de cierre.  

RESTRICCIONES DE INCENDIO: Las restricciones contra incendios siguen vigentes en toda el área. Para más detalles, consulte la Orden Forestal No. 06-24-04 aquí: fs.usda.gov/alerts/lassen/alerts-notices. Encuentre enlaces a las restricciones de incendios de otras agencias de administración de tierras en el árbol de enlaces de información sobre el incendio Park (URL y código QR a continuación).

Información sobre incendio Park (Suroeste CIMT 2) 530-414-9298 2024.park@firenet.gov       

Árbol de Enlace Incendio Park (enlaces a sitios web de información sobre incendios): linktr.ee/park_fire

Northern Rockies Team 5, Incident Commander Joe Sampson  

Location: Three miles west of Stevensville, Montana

Start Date: 8/23/2024  

Cause: Lightning        

Size:   3,018 Acres  

Completion: 36%

Total Personnel: 355 

CURRENT STATUS
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 5, led by Incident Commander Joe Sampson, took command of the Sharrott Creek Fire at 6 a.m. today. At the fire’s northernmost point, near the head of the Larson Creek drainage, crews are improving constructed line and using natural barriers (such as areas with limited fuel sources for the fire) to hold the fire within its current footprint. Engines will continue to patrol the fire's eastern edge to check for any areas of residual heat. To the south, crews are using water to cool hot spots from the most southern point of the fire west towards the St. Mary’s Trailhead. Fire managers are optimistic about limiting the fire spread south. A rappel module remains near the St. Mary’s Trail, digging handline to tie together natural control features like rocky areas void of available fuel. Structure protection crews will take on initial attack responsibilities if new fire starts crop up with incoming thunderstorms in the area. Helicopters will be available to assist ground crews with water drops as necessary and as long as it is safe to do so. The fire will no longer be staffed by night crews due to a substantial decrease in nighttime fire activity.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Thunderstorms passed through the fire area last night, bringing wind gusts up to about 30 mph. However, the fire area did not receive measurable precipitation. Today, hot and dry conditions are expected with southwest wind gusts reaching about 20 mph along the ridgetops. Temperatures will likely remain in the mid 70s in the fire area with relative humidities in the mid 20s. The majority of the fire’s movement will be in the upper slopes where dry, subalpine fir has the potential to torch and cause short-range spotting up to ½ mile.
In the coming days, precipitation is expected with up to 1 inch of rain possible in the fire area. This wetting rain will likely hinder the fire’s ability to move substantially for a week or so or until fuels along the fire’s perimeter dry out. However, thunderstorms could potentially cause new fire starts.
EVACUATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, CLOSURES
-The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has issued an Evacuation Warning for neighborhoods in the vicinity of the Sharrott Creek Fire. Sign up for evacuation alerts at http://hyper-reach.com/mtravallisignup.html
-Area closures are in effect from North Fork Sweeney Creek to Sweathouse Creek. More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices
- The Bitterroot National Forest is currently in Stage I Fire restrictions within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness.
- A Temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place west of Highway 93 from Bass Creek to Big Creek.

Northwest Team 12

Whisky Creek, Sandstone and Blister Creek Fires

Sept. 9, 2024

Fire Information: (541) 208-1743, 8 AM - 8 PM

For links to incident information: https://linktr.ee/whisky_creek.2024

Whisky Creek Size: 2,935 acres | Start Date: July 20 | Cause: Human | Containment: 25%

Sandstone Size: 702 acres | Start Date: August 5 | Cause: Lightning | Containment 75%

Total Resources: 306 | Hand Crews: 4 | Engines: 7 | Dozers: 2 | Heavy Equipment: 11 | Helicopters: 3

The Whisky Creek, Sandstone, and Blister Creek Fires are in steep and rugged terrain on the Mt. Hood National Forest where rolling debris and fire-weakened trees challenge firefighting efforts. Firefighting resources from these fires remain available to assist with new fire starts as needed.

Whisky Creek: The fire was most active near the headwaters of Herman Creek and there was some fire growth on the southwest flank yesterday. A small spot fire is smoldering below the Benson Plateau, but it does not appear to be moving or growing. Firefighters removed structure protection wrap from buildings and signs where there is no longer threat from fire. Fire managers used a reconnaissance flight to scout the north end of the fire for secondary fireline locations. Large and medium helicopters assigned to the incident continue to support the Williams Mine Fire in Washington, dropping approximately 38,000 gallons of water on that fire yesterday.

Crews will continue to patrol and monitor the fire both aerially and from the ground. Fire managers are working on a contingency firing plan that could be implemented, if needed in the future. Today firefighters are connecting the last piece to complete an extensive hose lay northeast of Wahtum Lake. This hose lay will be fully charged and tested to ensure it is ready if needed. Dozers and excavators will continue to repair dozer lines and road grading will continue on Forest Service Road (FSR) 2810. 

Sandstone and Blister Creek: Isolated heat signatures persist on infrared mapping of the Sandstone and Blister Creek fires, but no smoke is visible. Heavy equipment completed dozer line repairs south of the fires. Fire suppression repair work continues as excavators work on FSRs 7015 and 6320. 

Weather: Cooler and moist conditions are on the way with rain in the forecast for Tuesday night through Wednesday. Air quality still remains impacted by numerous large fires across central and southern Oregon. For smoke forecasts and safety, visit: oregonsmoke.org.

Closures: Area closures will remain in the Mt. Hood National Forest, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and Hood River County. Closures are put into place for the safety of the public and fire crews; intrusion into a closure area can disrupt fire suppression and repair activities, endanger lives and property, and can result in fines. Closure information is at: https://linktr.ee/whisky_creek.2024. 

Safety: The public plays an important role in preventing the next wildfire; please use caution with all potential ignition sources. For prevention tips see: https://keeporegongreen.org. The Temporary Flight Restriction remains in effect for the Whisky Fire: https://tinyurl.com/2s49yrj4. Fire restrictions are in place on the Mt. Hood National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mthood/fire. 

Power outages in the south Reno area continue to leave some homes, businesses, and traffic signals without electricity. Customers who are currently without power should be prepared for prolonged outages throughout the incident and those customers living near the fire who still have power should be prepared for potential additional de-energizations due to the dynamic nature of the fire. To learn more about outage preparation visit: www.nvenergy.com/outages-and-emergencies/outage-preparation-tips.

Interstate 580 between Reno and Carson City, Nevada, as well as Old U.S. Highway 395 to Eastlake Boulevard have reopened. Old U.S. Highway 395 is still closed from East Lake Boulevard to Bowers Mansion Interchange. Mt. Rose Highway remains closed. For updates on road closures, visit: https://www.nvroads.com/

Firefighters continue mop up, focus on completing fireline

MITCHELL, Ore. – Overnight firefighters worked to tie together portions of fireline on the southwest corner of the fire near Peggy Butte. Nearly 300 firefighters worked on the fire last night, taking advantage of reduced fire behavior to increase the depth of cold black on the perimeter and improve fireline. The fire grew slightly to 26,475 acres with increased containment of 26%.

Firefighters continue mop up around the fire perimeter, extinguishing hot spots. Gridding along the fire’s edge, they will use tools to dig into areas of thick duff or larger woody material and use water to mix and cool areas of heat or visible flames.

Ruby Fire Quick Facts

Size: 1217 acres                         Location: North Cascades National Park, Ruby Mountain, Diablo, Washington

Containment: 0%                      Cause: Lightning/Natural

Start Date: August 9, 2024        Total Personnel: 54

Fire Information: 360-208-8096 

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wancp-ruby-fire 
Email: 2024.Ruby@firenet.gov

Current Status: Yesterday, activity on the Ruby Fire was minimal due to cooler temperatures and lower wind speeds.  Three helicopters supported fire suppression efforts by collecting water from Diablo Lake and dropping it over hot spots on the western edge of the fire. Additional growth on the eastern edge was reported. Smoke was present throughout the day. Firefighters are strategically placed around the fire to support suppression efforts if conditions change. Visitors should use extra caution when traveling on State Route 20 (SR20) near Diablo Lake to avoid inhibiting active firefighting operations. Do not stop and take photos until you are in a designated area that is safe to do so. The Thunder Arm portion of Diablo Lake and Colonial Creek South Campground are closed. 

Planned Actions: Firefighters will continue to focus on protecting critical infrastructure such as campgrounds, SR20, trails, and backcountry camps in preparation for possible fire growth. The Ruby Fire is a full suppression fire, and firefighters are using tactics with the highest chance for success, while reducing safety risks to firefighters and the public. 

Weather: Cool and moist weather over the Ruby Fire is expected through Wednesday with more cloud cover arriving from onshore flow off the Pacific. Today will be partly sunny with a high temperature of 68oF. Winds are expected to be light, west to northwest, with speeds of 6-8 mph.

Closures: There are multiple closures in place for public safety: Colonial Creek South Campground and boat launch, Thunder Arm south of Diablo Lake, Happy Creek Trail, and area trails and camps. See all closures at https://go.nps.gov/fireclosures

Smoke: Air quality is forecast to be GOOD on Monday. Forecast at https://www.airnow.gov

Burning Restrictions: Campfires, the ignition of wood, briquettes, or any fuel in fire pits, fire pans and barbeque grills, are banned in all portions of North Cascades National Park Service Complex: North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. 

Drone Restrictions: If you fly, we can’t. Drones can jeopardize firefighting efforts, and operating drones within North Cascades National Park is prohibited, except with prior written approval from the superintendent. 

Cooperating Agencies & Tribes: National Park Service, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Seattle City Light, Whatcom County, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Dept. of Transportation, Washington DNR.

To sign up for our daily updates, please send an email to: 2024.Ruby@firenet.gov  Thank you.

Firefighters had a successful day keeping fire within containment lines

Daily Update – Monday, September 9, 2024         

Acres: 4,892  

Start Date: 9/2/2024 

Location: 9 miles northwest of Fairfield, ID   

Personnel: 382 

Containment: 10%  

Fuels: Timber, brush, grass, understory 

Highlights: Firefighters are focusing on holding the fire line east of the Middle Fork of Lime Creek and north of the South Fork of Lime Creek today to protect values at risk.  

Operations: On Saturday, the fire actively pushed toward Iron Mountain as expected by fire managers.  A small spot fire over the northwest flank was identified and the forward rate of spread was stopped. Fire activity may increase this afternoon in response to changing weather conditions. Fire crews are checking and addressing hot spots while patrolling control lines to keep the fire north of the South Fork of Lime Creek and east of the Middle Fork of Lime Creek. Firefighters will continue efforts to keep the fire west of the established heavy equipment lines on the eastern edge to protect range infrastructure and high value timbered areas. A priority focus was established for contingency planning on the southeast corner in anticipation of changing wind direction later this week. 

Weather: Today, temperatures will range from 72 to 80 degrees with afternoon humidity back down in the 14-20 percent range. Southwest wind in the afternoon will only gust as high as 22 mph. 

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from the Fairfield area, with continuing predicted today. An interactive smoke map located at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest conditions. 

Closures: The Sawtooth National Forest has issued an emergency temporary closure of trails and trail segments for the Chimney Fire. The purpose of the closure order is for the protection of firefighters and public during wildfire suppression activities occurring in and around the trails. The full closure order (No. 0414-05-065) and map are available on the Sawtooth National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices. 

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes uncrewed aircraft or drones. 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: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ideix-chimney-fire /  

208-246-8292 / https://www.facebook.com/sawtoothnationalforest / 2024.chimney@firenet.gov / https://www.facebook.com/IdahoDepartmentofLands/     

Wapiti Fire Statistics: 

Size:120,354 acres    

Containment: 12% 

Total Personnel: 1,473

Location: Grandjean, ID 

Reported: July 24, 2024 

Cause: lightning 

Special Notes:  The Custer County Sherriff made a slight reduction in the road closure- State Highway 21 now remains closed east of Lowman to Stanley from MP84 (Sourdough Lodge) to MP126 (Stanley Lake turnoff)due to wildfire activity. Highway 75 remains open. 

Current Situation: The fire is being managed under a full suppression values-driven strategy. A values driven suppression strategy emphasizes the protection of values at risk while only placing fire personnel in locations where they will have a reasonable probability of success. Firefighter and public safety remain the highest priority in all management decisions. Resources assigned to the Wapiti Fire are supporting initial attack operations on the Frog Fire on the Sawtooth National Forest and the Lava Fire on the Boise National Forest. 

Division DD: The fire in the Sawtooth Wilderness is slowly growing towards the south and east remaining in the drainage bottoms with rocky alpine terrain above it. Minimal resources are staffed in this division due to the limited access within the Wilderness and low fire potential. 

Division HH:  Contingency lines are complete between Iron Creek and Goat Creek. A structure crew remains in place to provide support as needed.

Division KK and Structure Group East: Excess equipment is being removed from the area and crews have begun to repair the suppression work. Crews continue to mop up and patrol along the entire division. The large spot east of Hwy 21 remains in patrol status. 

Divisions PP & MM: Last night crews staffed the burn operations and worked to suppress spot fires that crossed Highway 21.  Today they will continue to patrol the area and monitor yesterday’s ignitions. Prep work has been completed at Camp Bradley Scout Reservation and crews remain staged to protect structures if needed. Crews continue to grid for hotspots, mop up, and hold established lines within the Bull Trout Lake area.

Division WW and Structure Group West:   Aviation provided multiple drops along north of Highway 21. The structure group is moving further into the Lowman area to assess and prep structures. The fire continues to hold at the Chapman Creek drainage and crews are working to suppress spot fires as they pop up. Personnel remain in the communities to assess structures and be in place to defend structures if needed. 

Division VV:  Fire in this division is burning partially within the Sawtooth Wilderness and is unstaffed due to the lack of road access. 

Weather, Fuels, and Fire Behavior:  

The weather will trend hotter and drier on Monday and Tuesday with relative humidities in the range of 10-20%. Critical fire weather is expected on Tuesday due to high temperatures and winds. All fuels are cured and available to burn across all elevations. With proper wind/slope alignment the fire can be expected to make active runs. Starting Wednesday afternoon, a strong change in weather pattern will be present over the fire area. This will bring a storm that is expected to produce up to an inch of rain with winds out of the north and northwest. 

Evacuations: 

For evacuation information on the Wapiti Fire, please see the Custer County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/Custer-County-Sheriff-Idaho-61558947312289/  and the Boise County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/boisecountysheriff/. 

To sign up for Custer County CodeRED emergency notifications, text CUSTER to 99411 or enroll online at https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/BF28E45537FF . 

To sign up for Boise County Alert Sense emergency notification enroll online at https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/publicUser.aspx?regionid=1163 

Closures and Fire Restrictions: 

State Highway 21 is still closed from MP84 to MP130 for public and firefighter safety. 

A Wapiti Fire Area Closure / Forest Order: 0414-04-151 for portions of the Boise, Sawtooth, and Salmon-Challis National Forests can be found at this site: https:/www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices

Boise National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions / Forest Order: 0402-00-63 can be found at this site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices. 

Sawtooth National Forest Stage 1 Fire Restrictions / Forest Order 0414-00-044 can be found at this site: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/sawtooth/alerts-notices 

Fire restrictions on federal, state, and private lands may be found at this site: https://www.idl.idaho.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions-finder/. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Wapiti Fire. Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t.  For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. 

For More Information: 

  Information Phone: 208-593-7132 

  Email:  2024.wapiti@firenet.gov 

  InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-wapiti-fire  

  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/wapitifireinfo2024/ 

  Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/WapitiFireInfo2024 

  Interactive Map:  https://tinyurl.com/WapitiFireInfoMap