Current Activity: Yesterday firefighters constructed and strengthened containment lines on the ridge above SR410 and on the south flank and turning a corner to the north along the Rock Creek Rd. Aircraft using water drops, held spot fires in check and minimized the rate of spread on other flanks. Structure support crews continue making good progress protecting homes in the Rock Creek area by installing hose lays, sprinklers, and cutting brush. A structure protection group will continue to work within the evacuation areas to create defensible space and other protection. The highest priority objectives continue to be protecting structures, communities, and other values at risk along the 410 corridor. Today, crews will continue to construct, hold, and strengthen both direct and indirect lines around the perimeter of the fire and construct contingency lines as needed.

Evacuations: A Level Three evacuation notice has been issued to 22 residences in the Rock Creek drainage. Level Two notices remain in effect for the 250 residences along both sides of Sr 410 from the Fire District 14 station #11 to the junction with Gold Creek Rd. For additional information on evacuations please visit the Yakima County OEM Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/YakimaCountyOEM.

Closures: The Rock Creek Road (FSR 1702) and the Bald Mountain Road (FSR 1701) have been closed to allow firefighters unimpeded access to the fire area. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has temporarily closed approximately 5,000 acres of the southwest portion of the Oak Creek Wildlife area. For details of the closure area please visit: www.inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6456.

Smoke: For information on smoke and public health, please visit: www.wasmoke.blogspot.com. For smoke information in Spanish visit: https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/AirQuality/SmokeFromFires/HumodeIncendios

Fire Information:

Inciweb: www.inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6456

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeftHandFire

Fire Information Center: NEW NUMBER 509-731-3690

Incident Management Team: Northwest IMT 7 (Eric Knerr IC)

Current Activity: Yesterday saw the Left Hand Fire more than double in size, with growth on the south and east flanks of the fire. Strong winds continued to drive active fire behavior into the night. Firefighters had success in establishing containment lines on the west flank to keep it on the ridge above the Highway 410 corridor. Lighter winds forecast for today should moderate fire behavior. Crews, with aircraft support, will continue to build both direct and indirect fireline today in efforts to hold the fire on the ridge on the western flank and provide opportunities to check its advance on the remaining perimeter. A structure protection group will continue to do assessments and provide protection to threatened structures.

Evacuations: A Level Three evacuation notice has been issued to 22 residences in the Rock Creek drainage. Level Two notices remain in effect for the 250 residences along both sides of Sr 410 from the Fire District 14 station to Cliffdell. For additional information on evacuations please visit the Yakima County OEM Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/YakimaCountyOEM.

Closures: The Rock Creek Road (FSR 1702) and the Bald Mountain Road (FSR 1701) have been closed to allow firefighters unimpeded access to the fire area. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has temporarily closed approximately 5,000 acres of the southwest portion of the Oak Creek Wildlife area. For details of the closure area please visit: www.inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6456.

Smoke: For information on smoke and public health, please visit: www.wasmoke.blogspot.com. For smoke information in Spanish visit: https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/AirQuality/SmokeFromFires/HumodeIncendios

Fire Information:

Inciweb: www.inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6456

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeftHandFire

Fire Information Center: NEW NUMBER 509-731-3690

Incident Management Team: Northwest IMT 7 (Eric Knerr IC)

Current Activity: Yesterday saw moderate growth on the south and east flanks of the fire as a passing cold front increased winds and fire behavior. Aircraft were utilized to check the spread of the fire on the west flank to keep it on the ridge above the highway 410 corridor. Today additional crews, aircraft and engines have arrived and will be building both direct and indirect fireline in efforts to hold the fire on the ridge on the western flank and provide opportunities to check its advance on the remaining perimeter. A structure protection group will continue to do assessments and provide protection within the structures threatened along the highway corridor.

Evacuations: A Level Three evacuation notice has been issued to sixteen additional residences in the Rock Creek drainage effective at 6:00 a.m. this morning bringing the total to 22. Level Two notices remain in effect for the 250 residences along both sides of Sr 410 from the Fire District 14 station to Cliffdell. For additional information on evacuations please visit the Yakima County OEM Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/YakimaCountyOEM.

Closures: The Rock Creek Road (FSR 1702) has been closed to allow firefighters unimpeded access to the fire area.

Smoke: Smoke from both the Pipeline and Left Hand Fires is evident from Cliffdell to Yakima. For more information on smoke and public health, please visit: www.wasmoke.blogspot.com. For smoke information in Spanish visit: https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/AirQuality/SmokeFromFires/HumodeIncendios

Fire Information:

Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6456

Facebook: facebook.com/Left Hand Fire

Fire Information Center: NEW NUMBER 509-731-3690

Incident Management Team: Transfer of command to Northwest IMT 7 (Eric Knerr IC) today at 6:00 a.m.

July 26, 2019, 8:00 am

• Acres:400

• Personnel:120

• Location:32 miles west of Yakima, WA, Naches Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF

• Cost:

• Start Date: July 23, 2019

• Cause: Lightning

• Completion: No estimate

  Current Activity: Examining the potential of this blaze yesterday, local fire managers determined that it required the advanced capabilities of a full incident management team, which they then ordered. A Northwest Incident Management Team will arrive in Naches this morning to assume command.

  The fire was very active on Thursday as hot, dry conditions prevailed over the area. Sustained uphill runs were observed on the east flank accompanied by increased spotting. The west flank approached a band of rocky cliffs viewed as an important barrier to further growth downslope toward SR 410. Aircraft were used extensively to drop water and fire retardant on this difficult-to-safely access portion of the fire. Similar to Wednesday evening, the fire remained active into the night. As a result, the area within the burn grew significantly.

  A weather warning for today indicates hotter temperatures and increased winds. Continued active fire behavior is expected.

  Evacuations: Level Three evacuations remain in place for six residences proximate to the southwest flank of the fire and Level Two notices are in effect along both sides of SR 410 from Elk Ridge Campground to the Old River Road junction.

  Closures: Forest 1702 is closed to all public traffic.

  Smoke: Smoke from both the Pipeline and Left Hand Fires was very evident from Cliffdell to Yakima. For smoke information in Spanish visit: https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/AirQuality/SmokeFromFires/HumodeIncendios

  Fire Information:

  Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6456

  Text Message:

  Facebook: facebook.com/Left Hand Fire

NEWS RELEASE

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

July 26, 2019

Contact: Greg Mackey, 509-653-2390; Rachel Blomker, 360-701-3101

Left Hand Fire closes 5,000 acres of Oak Creek Wildlife Area

YAKIMA – A wildfire that started July 23 in southwestern Kittitas County has prompted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to temporary close about 5,000 acres of the Rock Creek Unit of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area near Naches to protect firefighters and help ensure public safety.

Wildlife Area Manager Greg Mackey said access to the southwestern portion of the Rock Creek Unit will be restricted until approximately Aug. 26, while firefighters work to contain the fire which is still actively spreading in the area.

Updates on the wildfire are available on the Left Hand Fire Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LeftHandFire and the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s website at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6456/.

US Forest Service Road 1702 (Rock Creek Road) is closed, and other roads may close depending on fire behavior.

The estimated size of the Left Hand Fire was 500 acres as of July 26, and is burning in very steep and rugged terrain with poor access. A combination of high winds, low humidity, and high temperatures may increase fire spread and intensity. The wildfire was caused by lightning.

WDFW manages approximately 1 million acres of land and over 600 water access sites across the state that provide fish and wildlife habitat, as well as fishing, hunting, wildlife-viewing, and other outdoor activities for thousands of Washingtonians and visitors every year.

WDFW is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation opportunities.

Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see https://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.

Additional firefighting resources arrived on Wednesday. That afternoon the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office issued a Level 1 evacuation notice (“Get ready”) for the area adjacent to the fire.

Late Wednesday afternoon fire activity increased with some “spotting”(airborne embers igniting fuels outside the perimeter of the main fire) observed. One load of fire retardant was dropped on the west flank of the fire to slow the upslope spread shortly before sunset. Fire managers estimated the fire perimeter had grown to 160 acres by that time. That growth prompted issuance of a Level 3 (“Go”) notice for six homes and other structures nearest the fire and a Level 2 (“Set”) for over 250 residences along SR 410 effective this morning. Maps of the affected areas are available on the Yakima County Office of Emergency Management Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/YakimaCountyOEM).

This morning, fire managers are simultaneously continuing operations and evaluating the strategies for safely addressing the challenges presented by the rugged terrain and difficult access. More helicopters and other resources should arrive today.

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Smoke from the Left Hand Fire is visible from SR 410 and may impair visibility. Motorists are advised to exercise additional caution in the fire area.

Bear Fire

The lightning-caused Bear Fire is approximately 700 acres, burning on National Forest System lands on the Black Range Ranger District, Sierra County, NM. This fire is demonstrating low to moderate fire behavior. Crews continued to work on the western edge holding firing operations. Fire activity on the east side was minimal. Today’s plan will be to continue prep on the 4052D. Crews will also be scouting a viable option to bring handline from the end of the 4052D road into Corduroy Canyon.

Skid Fire

The lightning-caused Skid Fire is approximately 100 acres, burning on National Forest System lands in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Fire was backing down canyon to the north towards Morgan Creek. Fire activity was moderate and produced a well-defined column around 6 p.m. on Friday. Some torching was observed. The initial test flight with the Silent Falcon UAS was a success. Data from the flight will be processed and the results will be processed throughout the day Saturday. This fire continues to be visible to the community of Winston, Truth or Consequences, and along the I-25 corridor north and south of Truth or Consequences. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. The fire is currently being monitored from the Hillsboro Peak Lookout and has demonstrated low to moderate fire behavior.

Summary: Reconnaissance has shown that these naturally-ignited fires are doing good things for the land. These fires are monitored using lookouts and aerial reconnaissance. These fires are all exhibiting low to moderate effects, cleaning up dead and down trees, and debris from previous fires, and reducing ladder and surface fuels. These fires will continue to reduce hazardous fuels accumulation and improve resiliency to wildfires and insect outbreaks during drought years.

Smoke from fire rises during the daytime, but in the evening can pool down in canyons, drainages, and basins, and we expect there may be smoke visible in Kingston, Hillsboro, and Truth or Consequences. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distances and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/fire. Smoke monitors are set up in Mimbres, Winston and Gila Center. Live tracking can be found at https://app.airsis.com/USFS/UnitMap for smoke monitor units USFS1054, USFS1035, and USFS1036 Fire information can be found at NM Fire Info and on Inciweb.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Truth or Consequences, NM, July 13, 2019 – The Black Range Ranger District, Gila National Forest Is managing the Skid Fire, which is in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness.

The lightning-caused Skid Fire is approximately 100 acres. This fire was discovered on July 10. This fire is ½ mile south of Morgan Creek and will be visible to the community of Winston, Truth or Consequences, and along the I-25 corridor north and south of Truth or Consequences. The fire is in steep, rocky terrain on the crest of Black Range on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. This is the same area, where on July 12, 1994 Pilot Robert Boomer of Briles Wing and Helicopter and Helitack Firefighters Sean Gutierrez and Sam Smith of the U.S.D. A. Forest Service were killed when their helicopter experienced a hard landing while transporting them for an initial attack on the Guide Fire burning at 9,520 feet in the Black Range of the Gila National Forest near Mimbres NM. Two other crew members were injured in the crash.

Managing risk on an incident is of highest priority to fire managers, and with that being reviewed and analyzed, fire managers on the Skid Fire have ordered a Type 2, fixed-wing drone the Silent Falcon to conduct air reconnaissance on the Skid Fire. The expectation for this reconnaissance is to evaluate the fire perimeter and potential for growth. A Temporary Flight Restriction will be put in place for the duration of the flight. This drone has a flight time of approximately 1.5 hours, can fly at 3000' AGL (above-ground-level), which meets the standards for flight above wilderness areas, and is extremely quiet. It has a fail-safe system in place, so that if It loses link-up it will return to its base. For more Information on the drone: https://sites.google.com/a/firenet.gov/interagency-fire-uas/.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Skid Fire

The lightning-caused Skid Fire is approximately 100 acres, burning on National Forest System lands in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. This fire was discovered on July 10. This fire is ½ mile south of Morgan Creek. This fire is demonstrating low fire behavior. This fire will be visible to the community of Winston, Truth or Consequences, and along the I-25 corridor north and south of Truth or Consequences. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. The fire is currently being monitored from the Hillsboro Peak Lookout and has demonstrated low to moderate fire behavior. There was more smoke production on Friday due to heavy fuels burning. Fire Management is trying to minimize exposure to firefighters by not placing them in a high-risk environment. They will allow the fire to transition to the east if it backs down slope towards an area along the FSR 157 corridor that is a much safer area to place firefighters.

Summary: Aerial and visual reconnaissance has shown that these naturally-ignited fires are doing good things for the land. These fires are in a monitor status using lookouts and aerial reconnaissance. These fires are all exhibiting low to moderate effects, cleaning up dead and down trees, and debris from previous fires, and reducing ladder and surface fuels. These fires will continue to reduce hazardous fuels accumulation and improve resiliency to wildfires and insect outbreaks during drought years.

Smoke from fire rises during the daytime, but in the evening can pool down in canyons, drainages, and basins, and we expect there may be smoke visible in Kingston, Hillsboro, and Truth or Consequences. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distances and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/fire. Smoke monitors are set up in Mimbres, Winston and Mimbres. Live tracking can be found at https://app.airsis.com/USFS/UnitMap for smoke monitor units USFS1054, USFS1035, and USFS1036 Fire information can be found at NM Fire Info and on Inciweb.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Bear Fire

The lightning-caused Bear Fire is approximately 700 acres, burning on National Forest System lands on the Black Range Ranger District, Sierra County, NM. This fire is demonstrating low to moderate fire behavior. Crews continued to work on the western edge holding firing operations. Fire activity on the east side was minimal. Today’s plan will be to continue prep on the 4052D. Crews will also be scouting a viable option to bring handline from the end of the 4052D road into Corduroy Canyon.

Skid Fire

The lightning-caused Skid Fire is approximately 100 acres, burning on National Forest System lands in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Fire was backing down canyon to the north towards Morgan Creek. Fire activity was moderate and produced a well-defined column around 6 p.m. on Friday. Some torching was observed. The initial test flight with the Silent Falcon UAS was a success. Data from the flight will be processed and the results will be processed throughout the day Saturday. This fire continues to be visible to the community of Winston, Truth or Consequences, and along the I-25 corridor north and south of Truth or Consequences. In the evening hours the fire will appear both larger and closer than it is due to the inability to reference its size to any physical landmarks. The fire is currently being monitored from the Hillsboro Peak Lookout and has demonstrated low to moderate fire behavior.

Summary: Reconnaissance has shown that these naturally-ignited fires are doing good things for the land. These fires are monitored using lookouts and aerial reconnaissance. These fires are all exhibiting low to moderate effects, cleaning up dead and down trees, and debris from previous fires, and reducing ladder and surface fuels. These fires will continue to reduce hazardous fuels accumulation and improve resiliency to wildfires and insect outbreaks during drought years.

Smoke from fire rises during the daytime, but in the evening can pool down in canyons, drainages, and basins, and we expect there may be smoke visible in Kingston, Hillsboro, and Truth or Consequences. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distances and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/fire. Smoke monitors are set up in Mimbres, Winston and Gila Center. Live tracking can be found at https://app.airsis.com/USFS/UnitMap for smoke monitor units USFS1054, USFS1035, and USFS1036 Fire information can be found at NM Fire Info and on Inciweb.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.