Single Publication

Cow Canyon Fire Update
NORTHWEST INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 12
Incident Commanders: Jeff Dimke and Bobby Shindelar 
August 5, 2022
FIRE INFORMATION:509-557-0063
2022.cowcanyon@firenet.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cwafireinfo
INCIWEB:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8305/  
 
COW CANYON FIRE
SIZE: 5,600 acres
CONTAINMENT: 0%
CAUSE: Under Investigation
PERSONNEL: Approx. 300

RESOURCES:
Hand Crews: 6
Engines: 6
Dozers: 5
Water Tenders: 6
Helicopter: 1

 
Northwest Incident Team 12 took command of the Cow Canyon Fire at 6 AM today. The fire is currently burning approximately 11 miles north of Naches, WA through the Manastash border of Yakima and Kittitas Counties. The Incident Command Post at the Kittitas Fairgrounds in Ellensburg is closed to all but essential personnel to help ensure the health and safety of community members and firefighters.
 
Weather 
The next several days will be warmer, with temperatures in the mid-70s today and lower 80s tomorrow. Winds will decrease after the passing of the cold front yesterday with relative humidity in the mid-20% range.
 
Operations
Yesterday, the fire moved eastward aligning with the topography upslope toward Manastash Ridge. Dozer line was constructed along the ridge and airtankers dropped retardant to reinforce the dozer line, keeping the fire west of Manastash Ridge. Firefighters on other areas of the fire were able to successfully engage with limited tactical firing operations to secure fireline on the northeast side of the fire. A cold front passed through yesterday, bringing windy conditions which caused a few spot fires late into the evening that were quickly extinguished. 
 
Today, firefighters will be assessing and prepping structures on the north side of the fire in the Manastash Creek area as well as removing fire-weakened hazard trees along roads. Firefighters will continue constructing fireline and will utilize both an incident helicopter and DNR IA aircraft for water bucket drops on active areas of the fire. 
 
Winds are expected to shift to the northeast late morning, which may cause an increase in fire activity, including short-range spotting on the south and west flanks. There are many pockets of unburned fuel that will readily burn as the temperatures rise and the humidity drops significantly.

Closures and Evacuations
The entirety of the Wenas Wildlife Area is temporarily closed for human safety due to the Cow Canyon Fire.
 
Level 2 and 3 evacuations are in place on the Cow Canyon Fire in both Yakima and Kittitas Counties. Evacuation details for Yakima County are located at https://www.facebook.com/YakimaCountyOEM and Kittitas County are at https://tinyurl.com/2225ruhs.
 
TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION
A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Cow Canyon Fire. Please consult the Notice to Airman for specifics. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone.