The Thumb Fire, which started on July 16th, is approximately 3,800 acres. Growth was primarily in the southern and eastern portion of the fire perimeter. Fire behavior was moderate with increased activity in isolated pockets of fuels.

Located along the western edge of the Great Thumb Mesa, the Thumb Fire is burning in pinon-juniper and brush. Fire managers are actively working to suppress and monitor the Thumb Fire while providing for point protection of identified sensitive natural and cultural resources.

Fire crews have contained the 1 acre Tipover Fire, detected on July 16th, on the North Rim of the park.

Smoke from the Thumb Fire is visible from both the North and South Rims of the park. At this time there are no closures within the park. Grand Canyon National Park is providing interagency support to the Truxton Canon Agency and the Havasupai Tribe.

Each fire start is evaluated by fire management officials for the most appropriate management strategy. Firefighter safety, resources at risk, location of the fire, available resources, regional and national preparedness levels, and weather forecast are taken into consideration when responding to a wildfire ignition.  

Please visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/firemanagement.htm for other information about wildland fire at Grand Canyon National Park or call 928-638-7819 for recorded fire information. To learn more about current fires in the region and across the country, visit www.inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Recent monsoon activity in the region resulted in two new lightning ignited fires. Fire crews are actively working to suppress and monitor the two fires.

The Thumb Fire was detected on Thursday, July 16th, 2020 and is located along the western rim of the Great Thumb Mesa. Grand Canyon National Park is providing interagency support to the Truxton Canon Agency and Havasupai Tribe. Approximately 285 acres in size, current fire behavior is creeping and smoldering within pinon-juniper forest. Fire managers plan to monitor the Thumb Fire.

The Tipover Fire was also detected on July 16th and is located north of Tiyo Point on the North Rim of the park. Currently the fire is estimated to be one acre in size. Fire crews are actively working to suppress the lightning ignited Tipover Fire. It is burning in ponderosa pine forest.

Smoke from the Thumb Fire is visible from the South Rim of the park. At this time there are no closures. Grand Canyon National Park is receiving interagency support from local resources from the North Zone Interagency Fire Management Organization.

Grand Canyon National Park is seeing an increase in wildfire starts due to recent monsoon  activity. Each fire start is evaluated by fire management officials for the most appropriate management strategy. Firefighter safety, resources at risk, location of the fire, available resources, regional and national preparedness levels, and weather forecast are taken into consideration when responding to a wildfire ignition.

Please visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/firemanagement.htm for additional information about wildland fire at Grand Canyon National Park. To learn more about current fires in the region and across the country, visit www.inciweb.nwcg.gov.

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The Bertschi Road Fire, located south of the town of Glenwood, WA., started on July 16 and its cause remains under investigation.  The fire organization managing the fire is “right-sizing” and excess resources are being made available for other fires. Approximately 224 personnel are currently assigned to the incident, which is now 90% contained. Resources remaining include hand crews, engines, dozers, and water tenders, most of which will be demobbed by end of shift today. 
                                                                                                                         
Northwest Incident Management Team 10 (NWT10) will be transitioning the Bertschi Road Fire to a Type 4 Incident Management Team (IMT) today at 4:00 pm. A small contingent of resources, including one task force leader, one strike team leader, one strike team of engines, and one twenty person crew will remain with the Type 4 IMT. Water tanks and 8,000 feet of fire hose will remain strategically positioned around the perimeter of the fire should water be needed to douse hot spots.

Our highest priority remains the safety of the public and all wildland fire personnel. Practical mitigation measures on the Bertschi Road Fire to support social distancing include: transitioning as many basecamp administrative functions as possible to virtual or telework status and designing smaller spike camps populated with fewer firefighters. Guidance provided by host agencies and the CDC on the use of facemasks in camp and elsewhere, when social distancing cannot be achieved, utilizing temporary facilities for crew quarters and staging for initial attack, continues to be followed.

Another dry cold front in moving southeast from the Gulf of Alaska, bringing with it increasing winds and high clouds. Relative humidity will be moderate (35%) with temperatures in the mid 70’s. Fire danger remains high and the public is encouraged to remain vigilant to reduce the number of vehicle and equipment caused fires across the state. For more information, visit http://readyforwildfire.org. 

This will be the Team’s final daily update for the Bertschi Road Fire. Incident Commander Alan Lawson, and the rest of the Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 10, would like to acknowledge the support and cooperation of the community of Glenwood, Glenwood School, Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, Klickitat County Emergency Management, Klickitat County Public Health, KCFD 3, KCFD 8, KCFD 13, and Klickitat County Sheriffs’s Office.  

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The Bertschi Road Fire, located south of the town of Glenwood, WA., started on July 16 and its cause remains under investigation.  As crews continue to make progress on the fire, the number of personnel needed for the incident is evaluated. The fire organization managing the fire is rightsizing and excess resources are being made available for other fires. Approximately 304 personnel are currently assigned to the fire, which is 85% contained. Resources remaining include hand crews, engines, dozers, and water tenders. Air resources were released yesterday at the end of shift. Other resources will be demobilized as containment nears 100%. 

The Bertschi Road Fire night division searched for hot spots, and continued with mop up and patrolling the fire perimeter. Containment lines have been completed but mop-up to remove areas of remaining heat continues today; in some cases that work has been completed up to 300’ inside the fire line. Crews will begin back hauling unneeded equipment, supplies and trash from the fire. Water tanks and hose lays will remain positioned around the perimeter of the fire should water be needed to douse hot spots.

Our highest priority remains the safety of the public and all wildland fire personnel. Practical mitigation measures on the Bertschi Road Fire to support social distancing include: transitioning as many basecamp administrative functions as possible to virtual or telework status and designing smaller spike camps populated with fewer firefighters. Guidance provided by host agencies and the CDC on the use of facemasks in camp and elsewhere, when social distancing cannot be achieved, utilizing temporary facilities for crew quarters and staging for initial attack, continues to be followed.

A dry cold front will move across the fire area this afternoon and evening. Westerly winds will accompany the front, bringing moderate relative humidity and temperatures in the mid 70’s. Fire danger remains high and the public is encouraged to remain vigilant to reduce the number of vehicle and equipment caused fires across the state. For more information, visit http://readyforwildfire.org.

The Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 10 would like to acknowledge the support and cooperation of the community of Glenwood, Glenwood School, Klickitat County fire districts and local fire districts.

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The Bertschi Road Fire is burning south of Conboy Wildlife Refuge and north of Snowden Road, south of the town of Glenwood, WA. The fire started on July 16 and its cause remains under investigation.  As  crews begin to make better progress on the fire, the number of personnel needed for the incident is evaluated. The fire organization managing the fire is rightsizing and excess resources are being made available for other fires. Approximately 312 personnel are currently assigned to the fire, which is nearly 80% contained. Resources include hand crews, helicopters, engines, dozers, and water tenders.

Hand held infra-red devices, used to detect heat, continue to be utilized within the perimeter of the fire footprint. Today, crews will focus on mopping up any areas of remaining heat near the edge of the fire. In some areas around the perimeter, up to 300 feet of mop up has been achieved.

Yesterday, fire managers welcomed researchers from the University of Washington in Partnership with the Vulcan Group, a privately held company founded by former Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, to the Bertschi Road Fire camp. Their mission is to learn about the different challenges wildland firefighters face on the fire lines in order to find solutions using new technologies.

Our highest priority remains the safety of the public and all wildland fire personnel. Practical mitigation measures on the Bertschi Road Fire to support social distancing include: transitioning as many basecamp administrative functions as possible to virtual or telework status and designing smaller spike camps populated with fewer firefighters. Guidance provided by the host agencies and CDC on the use of facemasks in camp and elsewhere, when social distancing cannot be achieved, utilizing temporary facilities for crew quarters and staging for initial attack, continues to be followed.

A dry cold front passage will bring warm and breezy conditions, along with elevated fire potential. High temperatures are expected to be 81 degrees and relative humidity at 35 percent. The winds associated with the front are expected to test established containment lines. Fire danger remains high and the public is encouraged to remain vigilant to reduce the number of vehicle and equipment caused fires across the state. For more information, visit http://readyforwildfire.org.

The Temporary Flight Restriction over the Bertschi Road Fire has been lifted.

The Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 10 would like to acknowledge the support and cooperation of the community of Glenwood, Glenwood School, Klickitat County fire districts and local fire districts.

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The Bertschi Road Fire is burning south of Conboy Wildlife Refuge and north of Snowden Road, south of the town of Glenwood, WA. The fire started on July 16 and remains under investigation. Approximately 338 personnel are assigned to the fire which is nearly 75% contained. Resources include hand crews, helicopters, engines, dozers, and water tenders.  A thermal flight was conducted overnight to delineate the fire perimeter and identify potential hot spots.

With minimal activity seen on the fire yesterday, crews were able to remove remaining areas of heat near the perimeters while increasing levels of containment. Crews have placed hose lines around the perimeter of the fire and a handheld heat sensing tool is being used to search for heat sources within the containment lines where crews will focus on mopping up. Eight water tenders are located on site to support hose lines as crews are tasked to achieve 100% mop up along and within the fire perimeter. These operations ensure the perimeter is secure from escaping fire or spotting across existing containment lines. In some areas around the perimeter of the fire, up to 300 feet of mop up has been achieved.

Our highest priority remains the safety of the public and all wildland fire personnel. Practical mitigation measures on the Bertschi Road Fire to support social distancing include: transitioning as many basecamp administrative functions as possible to virtual or telework status and designing smaller spike camps populated with fewer firefighters. The CDC guidance on the use of facemasks in camp and elsewhere when social distancing cannot be achieved and utilizing temporary facilities for crew quarters and staging for initial attack continues to be followed. Other safety hazards to crews include heavy fuel loads, an active log landing, poison oak, rattlesnakes and dehydration.

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Bertschi Road Fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. When a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Weather today will be warm again, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. A dry cold front is forecast to move into the area, testing established containment lines. Be sure to check with your local fire agencies for burn restrictions and for forest and state closures.

The Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 10 would like to acknowledge the support and cooperation of the community of Glenwood, Glenwood School, Klickitat County fire districts and local fire districts.

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July 20, 2020 -

The Bertschi Road Fire is burning south of Conboy Wildlife Refuge and north of Snowden Road, south of the town of Glenwood, WA. A control line, consisting of dozer line, hand line, and a system of forest roads, completely encircles the fire. Given the complexity of the terrain, prevalence of variable ridgetop winds, the abundance of woody fuels, and how early we are in the wildfire season, crews are working hard to suppress all hot spots within the fire perimeter. The fire started on July 16 and remains under investigation. Approximately 70% of the fire has been contained. 342 total personnel are currently resourced to the Bertschi Road Fire.  

Today, crews will scout assigned divisions to validate and reinforce constructed control lines. Crews are continuing to use infrared data, collected during an overnight flight, to locate and extinguish hotspots  within the fire perimeter. This work – known as “mop up” – is hot, dirty and difficult, but is critical to ensuring that the fire does not spread beyond the current control lines. Six water tenders are on site to support hose lines as crews are tasked to mop-up 75 feet within the perimeter. 

The fire has burned through heavy logging debris, leaving pockets of unburned dead and dying trees, and unburned neeldes scattered throughout, which could lead to reburn potential. Safety hazards to crews include heavy fuel loads, poison oak, rattlesnakes and dehydration.

 Our highest priority remains the safety of the public and all wildland fire personnel. Practical mitigation measures on the Bertschi Road Fire to support social distancing include: transitioning as many basecamp administrative functions as possible to virtual or telework status and designing smaller spike camps populated with fewer firefighters. The CDC guidance on the use of facemasks in camp and elsewhere when social distancing cannot be achieved and utilizing temporary facilities for crew quarters and staging for initial attack continues to be followed.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire. Drone flights are illegal in the fire area and compromise firefighting work.

A warming trend is forecast through Tuesday, before a dry cold front moves into the area, testing established containment lines. Be sure to check with your local fire agencies for burn restrictions and for forest and state closures.

The Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 10 would like to acknowledge the support and cooperation of the community of Glenwood, Glenwood School, Klickitat County fire districts and local fire districts.

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July 19, 2020

The Bertschi Road Fire is burning south of Conboy Wildlife Refuge and north of Snowden Road, south of the town of Glenwood, WA. Ground reconnaissance and more accurate mapping has placed the total acres burned at 250. While fire lines have been established around most of the perimeter of the fire, not all fire lines are secure enough to contain the fire should they be tested by strong winds and advancing flames. Given the complexity of the terrain and swirly ridgetop winds, lines around the fires perimeter will need to meet a higher standard before considered contained. The fire remains at 65% containment. Total personnel currently resourced to the fire is 295.

Crews today will focus on completing direct line construction and improving established control lines, using dozers and hand crews. Also, crews will scout and develop drop points on the fire for hose and pump delivery. In some areas of the fire, mop up operations will begin. The fire has burned through heavy logging debris and a primary hazard to the firefighters includes the prevalence of ash pits, holes filled with ash possibly containing hot embers beneath the ground. Additional hazards include snakes and snags, and the potential ignition of unburned islands.

Our highest priority remains the safety of the public and all wildland fire personnel. Practical mitigation measures on the Bertschi Road Fire to support social distancing include: transitioning as many basecamp administrative functions as possible to virtual or telework status; designing smaller spike camps populated with fewer firefighters; following the CDC guidance on the use of facemasks in camp and elsewhere when social distancing cannot be achieved; and utilizing additional temporary facilities for crew quarters and staging for initial attack.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire. Drone flights are illegal in the fire area and compromise firefighting work.

A warming trend is forecast through Monday, before a dry cold front moves into the area, testing established containment lines. The public is reminded to be careful with any sparks and burning materials while engaging the outdoors. Those towing trailers are cautioned to shorten safety chains to prevent dragging and generating sparks. Be sure to check with your local fire agencies for burn restrictions and for forest and state closures.

The Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 10 would like to acknowledge the support and cooperation of the community of Glenwood, Glenwood School, Klickitat County fire districts and local fire districts, while firefighters work to contain the Bertschi Road Fire. 

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Crews under the management of Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team 2 successfully contained the Neiber Fire at end of operations on Monday. From its origin on July 14, the blaze spread rapidly through rough and remote sagebrush country and grassland that posed special challenges for firefighters and management.

These obstacles were overcome through relationships built on successful interagency cooperation. Local Washakie county crews were joined by firefighters from Fremont, Park, Natrona, Albany, and Laramie counties in Wyoming and Boulder and Gilpin counties in Colorado. State and federal agencies also responded with resources from the Wyoming Division of Forestry, South Dakota Division of Resource Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and National Park Service.

The ramp up of firefighting capacity was also dependent on local hospitality. Businesses in Washakie Country responded quickly to the need for heavy equipment and food. The Worland Community Center Complex provided ideal workspace and accommodations for the Incident Command Post.

With those supports, firefighters were able to focus on risk-informed decision-making and tactics. Crews contained the wildfire with no injuries and demonstrated a focus on safety throughout the incident.

Firefighting tactics also successfully protected improvements in the affected area. No oil and gas infrastructure was lost and damage to roads, power lines, and fencing was minimal. Crews were also able to meet incident objectives of limiting loss of grazing land and critical sage grouse habitat.

While flames have been extinguished, suppression repair and rehab of the burned area will continue in the near future. Questions about ongoing efforts and current conditions should be directed to Laura Lozier of the Bureau of Land Management Land Field Office at 307-212-1946.

The Neiber Fire increased to 95% containment Saturday. Remaining uncontained line is in rugged terrain along the Mud Creek drainage. Firefighters will work to mop up and monitor safely in this steep area. Resources will continue repairing hand and dozer lines from suppression efforts.

Fire danger remains high across the Bighorn Basin. Neiber Fire crews will respond to new fire starts within the affected area. Fire restrictions remain in effect for BLM-managed lands in Washakie, Hot Springs, Big Horn, Park, Fremont, and Natrona counties. More fire restriction information at:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/wyoming/fire

Firefighting resources include two Type 2 initial attack handcrews, fourteen fire engines with crews, one bulldozer, and two watertenders. Air resources were released yesterday evening. Other resources will be demobilized as containment nears 100%.

Weather is expected to cool slightly but conditions will remain hot and dry. Highs will be in the upper 80s and low 90s with low humidity and a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms. There is a low chance of lightning with any storm. Elevated fire weather is predicted for central and southern Wyoming today including the Bighorn Basin.

To ensure public and firefighter safety, individuals should continue to exercise caution along Neiber Road and Nowater Road south to the Murphy Dome Oil Field. In addition to ongoing suppression and repair efforts, fire traffic will be active in the area throughout the day.