The Chiwaukum Complex includes the Chiwaukum, Shoofly, Mills Canyon, Kelly Mountain, and Alpine fires near Wenatchee and Leavenworth, WA.
Click here for information about the Duncan (north of Entiat, WA) and Hansel Creek (South of Leavenworth, WA) fires, also being managed by the PNW2 team.
Information for the Chiwaukum Complex can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Twitter: @ChiwaukumFire
Facebook: facebook.com/ChiwaukumCreekFire
| Current as of | 7/24/2014 10:07:27 PM |
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| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Tuesday July 15th, 2014 approx. 01:00 PM |
| Location | Chiwaukum is near the community of Leavenworth. Duncan and Kelly Mountain Fires are north of Klone Peak. |
| Incident Commander | Ed Lewis, Incident Commander Pnw Team 3 |
| Incident Description | Wildland Fires |
| Total Personnel | 1,000 |
|---|---|
| Size | 12,255 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 25% |
| Fuels Involved | Ponderosa pine, grand fir, silver fir, mountain hemlock, sub-alpine fir. Across the 3 fire areas, several fuel models are represented, including 10, 9, 8, 11, 12, 13, and 5. Slash fuel models occur along the north flank of the Chiwaukum Creek fire. |
| Significant Events | Fire behavior observed includes creeping and smoldering with minimal perimeter growth. |
| Planned Actions | Chiwaukum Creek: continue to hold fire west of highway; and continue to identify and implement containment options in the northern and southeastern areas of the fire. Continue to provide structure protection where needed.
Kelly fire: Resources will be inserted into the fire and continue implementing direct line construction. Duncan: Continue to develop indirect containment lines and shaded fuel breaks along roads and dozers lines. |
|---|---|
| Projected Incident Activity | 12 Hours:
Fire spread during the overnight hours is expected to minimal with no perimeter growth. Heavy fuels will continue to consume in the interior, with creeping and smoldering fire behavior. 24 Hours: Creeping and smoldering fire behavior is expected. No perimeter growth expected. 48 Hours: Creeping and smoldering fire behavior. Some minor perimeter growth should be anticipated. 72 Hours: Minor perimeter growth is expected. Continued consumption of interior fuels and smoldering and creeping fire behavior. After 72 Hours: Hot and dry conditions are expected, leading to more active fire behavior including torching, spotting. |
| Remarks | Personnel will continue to support local initial attack as needed. National Guard troops (100) are active and engaged in fire management activities in the eastern edge of the fire area. More favorable weather has allowed resources to return to the fire area and resume implementation of fire suppression activities in most fire areas. |
| Weather Concerns | The wet weather pattern has exited the fire area. Total precipitation at Hatchery ICP was 0.41″.
The primary weather concern continues to be the moderate northwesterly winds expected across the area; 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. A significant warming and drying trend will begin Friday and continue through the upcoming weekend as high pressure builds over the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures will rebound quickly, reaching upper 80s to low 90s by Saturday, while relative humidity is expected to be in the low 20s. Hot and dry conditions are expected to persist through early next week. The potential for triple-digit valley temperatures returns by the middle of next week. |
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| Current as of | 7/25/2014 10:25:25 PM |
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| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Under Investigation |
| Date of Origin | Tuesday July 08th, 2014 approx. 12:30 PM |
| Location | Directly adjacent to Entiat, WA – zero miles from city proper. |
| Incident Commander | Ed Lewis, Incident Commander Pnw3 |
| Incident Description | Wildlfire |
| Total Personnel | 30 |
|---|---|
| Size | 22,571 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 95% |
| Fuels Involved | Timber, brush and grass |
| Significant Events | Fire activity continues to be minimal; with smoldering and a few interior smokes |
| Planned Actions | Continue to implement fire suppression repair work in all approved areas of the fire. Provide for initial attack operations within the initial attack boundary as described in the Delegation of Authority letter. Continue to support local unit with initial attack capacity as requested. Continue to hold and patrol all areas of the fire. |
|---|---|
| Projected Incident Activity | 12 Hours:
During the next 12 hour period, incident movement is not expected. 24 Hours: Incident movement is not expected. |
| Weather Concerns | A significant warming and drying trend started today, and is expected to continue through the upcoming week. Temperatures will rise into the 90s by Monday, with lower elevations potentially reaching triple-digits by mid-week. Relative humidity levels will plummet into the teens and 20s by Saturday afternoon, then remain low through much of next week. |
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Suppression of these fires is an interagency effort, including Chelan County Fire Districts 1, 3, 8 and 9; Washington DNR; Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management.
The Pacific Northwest Team 3 will be transitioning with the Southern Area Incident Management Team (Dueitt). The Southern team will be briefed this afternoon and will shadow Pacific Northwest Team 3 on Saturday as they prepare to take over management of the Chiwaukum Complex.
Chiwaukum Creek Fire: Firefighters will continue to hold and secure containment lines on the north and east perimeter, including along Highway 2. Firefighters are also evaluating conditions for resuming the burnout operations on the northeast edge of the fire, above Thompson Creek. Suppression options are being evaluated on the southern and western perimeters which are partially within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.
Kelly Mountain: There was aerial reconnaissance over the fire yesterday. Ground resources, including Hotshot crews will be flown back in to the fire today to complete fire lines and suppression efforts.
Duncan: Crews made progress on opening roads and reducing fuel below the fire and along Shady Pass Road. Protection measures are completed on the cabins and campgrounds along the upper Entiat River road.
Mills Canyon: Fire rehabilitation, finishing mop-up, patrolling lines continues today. Firefighters anticipate the fire will be in patrol status this weekend.
Weather: A warming and drying trend is expected over the weekend. Temperatures will be in the low 80s today, with relative humidity in the 20s. By Sunday expect temperatures to reach the 90s, with relative humidity in the teens. Winds will be light from the west.
Evacuations/Closure Information: Evacuations remain unchanged today. Chelan County Emergency Services posts updated evacuations and closures on their Facebook and Twitter sites at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chelan-County-Emergency-Management/188543097925415 or follow them on twitter @ChelanCountyEM.
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest: http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices
Smoke Information: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ and Leavenworth webcam at: http://www.leavenworth.org/news-weather
Highway Information: http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/trafficalerts/ or follow twitter: @wsdot
Suppression of these fires is an interagency effort, including Chelan County Fire Districts 1, 3, 8 and 9; Washington DNR; Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Yesterday
There was no significant spread due to the amount of precipitation on all of the fires. The fires received between .25” to .5” of rain, depending on where the storm cells moved through. There was a flash flood warning in effect yesterday.
Chiwaukum Creek Fire: Firefighters could not access the more remote sections of the north flank of fire due to heavy rain, extremely muddy and slick roads. Fire personnel utilized this opportunity to mop up containment lines and prepare for anticipated fire growth due to increasing temperatures in the coming days. East of Highway 2 dozers worked to open up old roads and dozer lines to serve as contingency lines if needed.
100 National Guard personnel strengthened and mopped up fire line along Highway 2.
Mills Canyon: Firefighters are strengthening containment lines with mop up and rehabilitation to protect the resource.
Kelly Mountain: Firefighters were flown off of the fire on Tuesday due to the anticipated thunderstorms which occurred yesterday. The rain has temporarily reduced fire activity.
Duncan: Crews that had been working on protection efforts on structures east and south of the fire were pulled out of the area due to debris flows across the Entiat River Road caused by heavy rain. The rain has temporarily reduced fire activity and spread.
Weather
More than 22,000 lightning strikes were detected yesterday in Washington and Oregon. High winds out of the northwest, with gusts of 30-35 mph are forecast for today. Drier and hotter weather is expected to arrive this weekend and temperatures are predicted to be over 100 degrees again by the middle of next week, with very low humidity. This will likely result in an increase of fire activity on existing fires and the potential for lightning strikes that have been smoldering to actively burn.
Today’s Operations
The safety of firefighters and the public remains the highest priority. PNW Team 3 is continually evaluating operations and activity on the fires they are managing and supporting neighboring incidents as appropriate. There is concern with the muddy and slick road and fire line conditions on all fires.
Chiwaukum Creek Fire: Firefighters will continue to hold and secure containment lines on the north and east perimeter, including along Highway 2. They are also evaluating conditions for resuming the burnout operations on the northeast edge of the fire above Thompson Creek to secure that fireline. The National Guard contingent will resume their work of securing and mopping up along Highway 2. Suppression options are being evaluated on the southern and western perimeters which are partially within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.
Mills Canyon Fire: Fire rehabilitation, holding and patrolling lines will continue today. Excess fire resources will continue to be shifted to other priorities.
Kelly Mountain Fire: The fire will be patrolled by air today. Ground resources will be flown back in to the fire when conditions improve, possibly as early as tomorrow, to complete fire lines and suppression efforts.
Duncan Fire: Protection measures are completed on the cabins and campgrounds along the upper Entiat River road. Heavy equipment — feller-bunchers, skidders and chippers – will resume construction of the shaded fuel break from Shady Pass to Entiat River road.
Evacuations and Other Information
Evacuations remain unchanged today. Chelan County Emergency Services posts updated evacuations and closures on their Facebook and Twitter sites at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chelan-County-Emergency-Management/188543097925415 or follow them on twitter @ChelanCountyEM.
Fire updates can also be found on the Incident Information System Website (InciWeb) at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3937/.
Highway closures and other information is available through Washington D.O.T. on their twitter feed @wsdot.
Information about flooding and other concerns after a fire moves through can be found at: http://www.centralwashingtonfirerecovery.info.
Smoke information can be found at: http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ and on the webcam in Leavenworth at: http://www.leavenworth.org/news-weather
To those interested in Mills Canyon and Chiwaukum Complex,
People in the communities affected by Mills Canyon and Chiwaukum Complex are so generous in their appreciation of the hard work done by firefighters and, on occasion want to express that appreciation by making donations or contributions to the crews.
Thank you!
I’d like to clarify a few things though, so that these good intentions have the desired benefit.
Logistical support for firefighters, including meals, showers and medical assistance is provided to the crews. Because the firefighters are well cared for; they would encourage that your generosity be directed toward those who are victims instead. To the north, in Okanogan County there are many who are without homes in the wake of the Carlton Complex.
As an alternative, the Wildland Firefighter Association accepts financial donations and uses those funds to help support families of injured or fallen firefighters (www.wffoundation.org).
Beyond that, a simple word of thanks when crossing paths with a firefighter does wonders for the morale of the troops.
Thank YOU, for supporting these hard working individuals.
Ed Lewis
Incident Commander, PNW Team 3
 | Karen bull on Firefighter Appreciation… |
 | millscanyonfirevost on Welcome – Initial Setup |
 | Janice Wilson on Welcome – Initial Setup |
 | Heather on Welcome – Initial Setup |
#MillsCanyon #WAFire 