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Tunnel Five Fire 

Daily Fire Update July 5, 2023

Tunnel Creek Fire Quick Facts

Size: 546 acres

Origin: 2.25 mi W of White Salmon, WA

Resources: 36 Engines; 8 crews; 5 helicopters; 4 single-engine air

Containment: 5%

Cause: Under Investigation           

Total personnel: 372            

Start Date: July 2, 2023                              

There will be a virtual community meeting on the SW WA Fire Information Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SWWaFireInfo today at 5 PM.

Weather: The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the fire and surrounding areas through 11 PM today for hot, dry, and unstable conditions favorable for rapid fire growth. Temperatures today will be in the low-to-mid 90s, with very low relative humidity. Winds this morning will be northeast-southeast at 8-12 mph with gusts up to 15 mph, shifting to the west and increasing a bit in the late afternoon.

Operations: Fire activity increased late yesterday afternoon on the western edge of the fire near Tunnel Four. Helicopters dropped water buckets and “fire boss” air tankers kept the fire in check in this area. Fire engine crews patrolled again overnight, locating and securing hot spots around the fire perimeter. Trees and vegetation remaining inside established fire control lines will continue to torch and burn over the coming days, creating smoke even with minimal fire growth. Firefighters mopped up and patrolled along the Cook-Underwood Road yesterday, identifying and extinguishing remaining heat sources. Fire crews yesterday improved dozer line on the eastern fire edge, tying control lines into a rocky area to stop eastern expansion of the fire. Fire engine crews worked yesterday on structural assessments along the northern fire edge and will continue this work today.

Additional resources continue to arrive on the fire, including fire engines, hand crews, and a Type 1 Hotshot crew. The Lassen Hotshots will be working in the challenging terrain near Tunnel Four today, looking to create safe and effective control line on the steep western fire edge. Helicopters and fixed-wing air tankers will continue to be utilized as needed to support fire crews on the ground today. Initial Attack resources have been identified to rapidly shift assignments if necessary to assist local agencies with any new fire starts in the area.

Safety and Closures: Washington State Route 14 remains closed between mile markers 56-65 due to fire activity. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction over the Tunnel Five Fire area. Wildland fires are a “no fly zone” for drones. If you fly, WE CAN’T. Smoke and aircraft are visible within the I-84 corridor. Travelers should use caution; recreationalists and boaters in the Columbia River in this area should use extreme caution and avoid areas where aircraft are dipping in the river.

Evacuations: Level 1 evacuations were removed yesterday for Klickitat County. Visit  https://www.klickitatcounty.org/249/Emergency-Management for more details. In Skamania County, Level 3 Evacuations remain in place for a two-mile radius around the fire. Visit Skamania County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SkamaniaSheriff for more info. A shelter for evacuees has been set up at Skamania County Fairgrounds, 710 SW Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, WA.