Single Publication

Six Mile and Stranger Creek II Fire Daily Update                            

August 21, 2024 

Quick Facts: Six Mile

Size: 113 Acres          Start Date: August 18th, 2024  Cause: Lightning

Location: Two miles east of Nine Mile Hellgate Road, near the head of Cottonwood Creek

Containment: 10%              Personnel: 67             Fire Strategy: Full suppression                     

Resources Assigned: 2 hand crews, 2 engines, 2 water tenders, 2 heavy equipment

 The Six Mile Fire was initiated by lightning and is located approximately 26 miles southwest of Inchelium and is burning in the Williams Flat fire footprint from 2019.  A spike camp has been set up to allow firefighters with quicker and safer response to and from the fire.  Crews were able to begin mop-up operations at the heel of the fire, increasing containment to 10%.  Snags, produced by the Williams Flat fire burning through the area, is a major hazard in this area, both to crews engaging as well as burning snags falling over the line.  Additional crews will engage today, relieving the Mt. Tolman initial attack crews, allowing them to patrol and engage new starts from lightning that came through last night and early this morning.

Quick Facts: Stranger Creek II Fire

Size: 66 Acres           Start Date: August 18th, 2024  Cause: Lightning

Location: ¼ mile east/southeast of South Twin Lake

Containment: 10%              Personnel: 83             Fire Strategy: Full suppression                     

Resources Assigned: 3 hand crews, 4 engines, 5 water tenders, 1 heavy equipment

The Stranger Creek II Fire was initiated by lightning and is located approximately 7 miles southwest of Inchelium and 1 mile east of Twin Lakes. The fire began in logging slash and is lined with dozer line and all forward fire progression has stopped. Wildland firefightning engines and a hotshot hand crew arrived yesterday, relieving Mt. Tolman units, allowing them disengage and be ready for initial attack on other possible fire starts.  Today crews will continue to construct a hose lay around the fire.  Tenders on site will be able to bring water and allow crews to engage and extinguish hotspots more efficiently around the fire.

Evacuations and Closures: Road Closures:  Inchelium Highway in front of Inchelium Community Center Evacuations: Level 1 evacuations remain in effect for Twin Lakes Area. For more information on evacuations contact CCT EOC (509) 634-7350.  Law enforcement is patrolling around Stranger Creek II Fire to ensure public and firefighter safety in this area. 

Weather and Smoke:  Unsettled weather will continue for the next couple days. A weather system passing through the region this evening will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms.  Thunderstorms are possible (10%) into Thursday evening. General winds will shift to the northeast early Thursday morning and become breezy in the late morning and afternoon.