Several fires on the Willamette National Forest and other portions of the country are contributing to smoky conditions in the surrounding communities. Citizens can view maps and updates about smoke and air quality conditions by visiting this website Using AirNow During Wildfires | AirNow.gov

Actualización del incendio Easy      
24 de julio de 2024

Datos clave

Tamaño: 397 acres        Fecha de inicio: 17 de julio de 2024      Ubicación: 17 millas al oeste de Mazama, WA
Contención: 0%              Personal asignado: 118              Causa: Rays

Recursos asignados:  3 cuadrillas      3 camiones de bomberos

SITUACIÓN ACTUAL: Las temperaturas más frescas del martes minimizaron la acitividad de fuego y en general la propagación del fuego en el incendio Easy por la mañana. El martes por la noche empeoró la actividad del fuego, lo que provocó que se quemaran árboles individuales y en grupo, y se podía ver una columna de humo. El fuego arde en un terreno muy escarpado con madera grande y densa, muchos árboles muertos y vegetación en el suelo. El incendio sigue avanzando lentamente cuesta abajo hacia la carretera 20 (SR 20) North Cascades Highway.

Ayer, los helicópteros continuaron ayudando a los bomberos mediante cubetas de agua para frenar que se propagará más el fuego. Las cuadrillas instalaron sistemas de rociadores para proteger estructuras alrededor de Easy Pass Trailhead y establecieron sitios para proveer agua a las mangueras de la línea de contención. Los bomberos también construyeron líneas de contención que se conectan con las huellas de un incendio anterior en el lado norte del incendio Easy. Desplazamientos de piedras, árboles caídos y el incendio activo cerca de la carretera obliga al cierre de la SR 20 para proteger al público de los peligros asociados con el comportamiento del incendio y las estrategias de extinción. Los equipos talan árboles muertos entre el extremo activo del incendio y la ruta estatal 20 para ayudar a limitar su propagación hacia la carretera.

ACTIVIDADES DE HOY: Los bomberos reforzarán el cortfuego indirecto en la parte norte del incendio Easy. Las cuadrillas pudieran llevar a cabo operaciones de astillado para remover árboles caídos a lo largo de la carretera 20. Además, los bomberos seguirán cortando árboles muertos por encima y en paralelo a la carrtera 20, lo que ayudará a eliminar los peligros de la carretera.

CLIMA: Las temperaturas mañana continuarán bajando con máximas en los 80 y 90 grados y vientos leves del noroeste de alrededor de unas 6 mph. Estará más seco hoy que ayer, pero se espera que mañana el aire más fresco y húmedo se desplace sobre el fuego.

EVACUACIONES:  No existen órdenes de evacuación para el incendio Easy. Cualquiera que utilice la zona para recrearse debe estar atento a su entorno y permanecer fuera de las áreas cerradas. Visite https://t.ly/QoH9w para tener más información sobre los niveles de evacuación.  

CIERRES: La ruta estatal 20 se encuentra cerrada en ambas direcciones entre Granite Creek (MP 148) y Easy Pass Trailhead (MP 157).

El Bosque Nacional Okanogan-Wenatchee tiene órdenes de cierre en los senderos dentro del área afectada por el incendio: https://bit.ly/EasyFireClosures. Este cierre incluye una parte del sendero Pacific Crest Trail. Las fogatas están prohibidas. Hay una restricción temporal de vuelo (TFR, en inglés) sobre el área del incendio: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html. La actividad de drones no autorizados está prohibida por la TFR. 

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/waowf-easy-fire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080 

Línea de información sobre el incendio: 541-861-5808, de 8 AM a 8 PM

Correo electrónico: 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov

Deschutes National Forest

Forest Service News Release

For Release: July 24, 2024

Forest Closure Implemented Around Crescent Lake Due to Red Fire

Release Date: Jul 24, 2024

A closure for the Diamond Peak Wilderness is also in effect

Crescent, Oregon. — Effective immediately, the Deschutes National Forest is closing the area around Crescent Lake due to firefighter suppression efforts and fire proximity of the Red Fire burning within the Diamond Peak Wilderness. This in addition to an existing closure that was in place for the Diamond Peak Wilderness. (See Map)

This closure is being implemented for public and firefighter safety as heavy equipment will be working in the area on a shaded fuel break. Equipment has the potential to throw material over 300 feet. The shaded fuel break serves as a contingency point for holding the Red Fire, if needed. Shadded fuel breaks thin dense tree stands to reduce fire's intensity while retaining enough shade to slow down ground fire.

Campground reservations for the campgrounds listed below are being cancelled starting today through the next week. The Forest Service and Red Fire incident management team will continue to reevaluate the need for an area closure and will reopen the area when safe to do so.

The following campgrounds, recreation sites, & resorts are temporarily closed:

• Simax Group Campground
• Crescent Lake Campground
• Summit Lake Campground
• Spring Campground
• Contorta Point Campground
• Contorta Flat Campground
• Windy Group Campground
• Whitefish Creek Horse Camp
• Crescent Junction Sno-Park
• Crescent Lake Sno-Park
• Crescent Lake Resort
• Old Simax Day Use site
• Simax Beach North Day Use
• Simax Beach South Day Use
• Crescent Lake Day Use Area
• Tranquil Cove Day Use
• Tandy Bay Day Use Site

The following trails and trailheads are temporarily closed:

• Crater Butte Trailhead
• Metolius Windigo Trail
• Fawn Lake Trail Head
• Windy/Oldenburg Trailhead
• Meek Lake Trailhead
• Snell Lake Trailhead

The following roads are closed:

• NF-018
• NF-050
• NF-620
• NF-625
• NF-290
• NF-200
• NF-6005 RD
• NF 6010 RD

Other temporary closures:

• Crescent Lake State Airport
• Crescent Recreation Residences 1-73
• Crescent Lake Guard Station
• Makualla Boy Scout Camp

The Red Fire was started by lightning on July 17, 2024, and is burning within the Diamond Peak Wilderness. The fire is being managed as a full suppression response.

For information regarding the Deschutes National Forest visit fs.usda.gov/main/deschutes/home.

-USFS-

Update for Swawilla and Bridge Creek Fires                                   July 24, 2024

IMPORTANT!

Evacuation Level 2 (SET) for:

• The Town of Keller and surrounding community

• General vicinity of Buffalo Lake and Lake McGinnis

See Inciweb Site for exact locations and evacuation boundaries 

PUBLIC MEETING Wednesday July 24, 7 PM at KELLER COMMUNITY CENTER

FIRE ACTIVITY: Wednesday, the winds will be 5-9 mph from the SW starting about 10am. Gusts will be up to 20 mph after 10 am. Thursday, there will be cooler temperatures, however 7-13 mph winds will be westerly and increase to 16-21 in the afternoon with gusts up to 35 mph.

Fire Behavior Analyst Eric Trimble said “Due to the forecasted weather, dry fuels, and topography, there is a high probability that the fire will impact the communities in and around Keller Washington.”  Based on computer modeling, this may happen in the next two or three days. 

Swawilla Fire

The Swawilla Fire has progressed down to State Highway 21 but is holding on the Old Swawilla Road on the west shoulder of the fire. The fire remains active on the east side and has made it to French Johns Lake.  There will be a focus on structure assessment and protection along the affected Hwy. 21 corridor.  On the north and west side of the fire, firefighters will try to extend existing roads and older firelines, which will reduce the amount of new fireline. 

Air support has been limited because of low visibility due to smoke. However, when visibility allows, a Type 1 and Type 3 helicopters have been used to assist with fire suppression. In addition, an infra-red flight was conducted, which assists with mapping the fire perimeter.  

Night crews conducted a swing shift Tuesday night and will be conducting full night shifts as long as it is needed, and fire weather makes it necessary to do so. 

An evacuation center has been opened at the Lake Roosevelt High School gym in Coulee Dam. 

With the increase in people and resources to fight the fire, the firefighters will be moving some of their equipment from the camp in Keller to Owhi Flats near the intersection of Cache Creek Road and the Agency Cutoff Roads. Fire suppression crews will continue efforts in the Keller area.

Bridge Creek Wildfire

Firefighters are monitoring the line on the Bridge Creek fire, improving the fire line where snags may fall on Bridge Creek Road and conducting priority structure protection. 

Additional Information and Maps at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/, https://www.facebook.com/CCTENV,https://www.facebook.com/CCTBroadcasts

Start Date & Location: July 22, 2024, Butler Creek Road, Missoula
Cause: Human caused          Size: 307 acres          Containment: 70%

KEY MESSAGE
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the Missoula area from Wednesday 12:00pm- 9:00pm on July 24th. Firefighters will remain vigilant as these conditions can create rapidly changing fire behavior. Stage II fire restrictions remain in effect. All open burning and campfires remain prohibited. Please go to MTfireinfo.org to review fire restrictions in your area.

CURRENT STATUS
Containment on the Butler Creek fire is at 70% and suppression efforts continue. Containment is a measure of confidence that the control line around the fire will effectively halt fire spread. The incident has transitioned to a local Type 4 organization. There are 31 personnel on the fire, including 3 engines, 1 dozers, and 1 skidgen. Crews will continue “mop up” operations along the fire perimeter, systematically patrolling to detect and extinguish any residual heat sources. Firefighters will continue to focus on securing line and keeping fire in established footprint. Public and firefighter safety remains the top priority for operations. Crews may remain in the area for many days to come completing their mop up operations.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
A Red Flag Warning is in effect and fire danger remains extreme. A Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger. Wednesday will see a high of 103 degrees, low humidities, and high winds from the west predicted in the afternoon and evening to reach 30mph. There is a chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms and dry lightning with light precipitation. A cold front will be moving into the area Thursday bringing high winds and sustained pockets of thunderstorms. Hazey conditions will continue in the area. Current air quality can be found at fire.airnow.gov.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES
All evacuation orders, warning, and road closures in the area have been lifted. Area residents should remain vigilant and are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts at Smart911.com. Continue to monitor the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office for evacuation updates and information as conditions can change rapidly, especially with the Red Flag weather conditions. Drivers are urged to reduce speed around the fire area to eliminate conflicts with emergency traffic.

Please visit Inciweb at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-news/mtmts-butler-creek-fire for fire information.

Good Progress on the Boneyard Fire Near Monument, Courtrock Fire Nearly Lined Overnight Ahead of Predicted Wednesday Thunderstorms 

MONUMENT, Ore. – Firefighters were able to make good progress overnight, completing bulldozer and handline on the southern portion of the Boneyard Fire closest to the town of Monument, as well as bulldozer line around the majority of the Courtrock Fire. This work is extremely important ahead of Wednesday’s day shift, with conditions once again expected to work against firefighters. 

Overnight, the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warning for the southeast portion of the Boneyard Fire and all of Courtrock due to expected thunderstorms with strong winds and abundant lightning. This goes into effect at noon on Wednesday, and ends at 11 p.m. Winds may be erratic and are expected to influence fire behavior; firefighters are aware and prepared for the potential increase in fire activity and will respond to any new lightning-caused fire starts nearby.

Today, resources on the Courtrock Fire will be working to complete the last few portions of line, which will stop the fire’s growth. On the Boneyard Fire, work continues north and west of Monument, with line-strengthening. Fire hose will be constructed in these areas today to allow for better access to water. On the northwestern portion, much of the same work is continuing. 

To the northeast side, resources are engaged. On the southeast side, firefighters continue to build on line that has been established; a lot of work in these areas is providing protection to homes in the area. To the east, the Boneyard Fire continues to be on the path of merging with the Monkey Creek Fire; Team 1 is coordinating with ODF Team 3, assigned to that incident, as these fires close in on each other. 

For Wednesday’s day shift, 490 personnel are assigned to the Boneyard and Courtrock Fires, including 14 20-person crews, 13 bulldozers, seven tree fallers, eight water tenders and 24 engines, including three structural task forces from the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM). Another task force from OSFM will be arriving later today, along with additional resources ordered by Team 1 that will be strategically placed on the fire line. For aircraft, one Type one, one Type 3 and two Type 2 helicopters are assigned to the fire, and they will be used as soon as visibility increases.

Closures: The Bureau of Land Management has closed public lands along the John Day River from Kimberly to Dale, and from Kimberly to Service Creek. More information here: https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions.

Closures continued: The Umatilla National Forest has implemented a closure for public lands within the Heppner Ranger District. More information here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1194462.

Evacuations: Level 1 (Get Ready), Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations are in effect. For updated evacuation information:

• Grant County Emergency Management Office’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068819321423,  or sign up for the Grant County Emergency Alert System at https://member.everbridge.net/825462649520134/login.
• Morrow County Evacuation information can be found at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/de78333b0d2544f7a3 20142174aa20ae

Shelters: An evacuation center has been set up at Grant Union High 

School (911 S Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845).

Crews on Tuesday completed significant work on the Mestenas Canyon Fire, which has grown to 716 acres with 40% containment. The fire’s heel on the south end is now completely contained.

Meanwhile, the fire’s head continues to slowly progress north toward Forest Road 312, which crews prepared as a potential containment line. Low-hanging branches, known as ladder fuels, have been removed and blacklining, where fuels are burned ahead of the approaching fire, is completed up to 100 feet off the road.

There are no evacuations, but oil and gas infrastructure, archeological sites, dispersed camping areas and inholdings may be threatened if the fire grows beyond planned control lines.

The lightning-caused Mestenas Canyon Fire was first reported July 11. It is in the canyon of the same name, about 14 miles southwest of Dulce, N.M., and two miles north of Highway 64, where smoke may cause limited visibility to drivers.

The public can keep updated on the fire by visiting InciWeb or calling a public information officer at 505-216-6793.

Falls and Telephone Fires Update for July 24, 2024  

Falls Fire Quick Facts:  

Size: 140,422 Start Date: July 10, 2024 Location: 13 Miles NW of Burns, OR 

Containment: 50% Total Personnel: 1,621 Cause: Human-caused, under investigation 

Structures Triaged: Residences: 347; Commercial: 104; Outbuildings: 605 

Resources Assigned: 49 hand crews, 94 engines, 23 bulldozers, 29 water tenders 

Aerial resources available to the fire: two helicopters, and single-engine air tankers (SEATS) 

Telephone Fire Quick Facts: 

Size: 9,000 Start Date: July 22, 2024 Location: 12 miles NE of Burns, OR 

Containment: 0% Total Personnel: Staffed by Falls Fire personnel Cause: Lightning/Natural 

*See Falls Fire Quick Facts for additional information on total resources assigned and structures triaged combined. 

Telephone Fire: The Telephone Fire started Monday, July 22, south of King Mountain on the Emigrant Creek Ranger District on the Malheur National Forest. The fire perimeter is approximately five miles east of Highway (Hwy) 395 and fourteen miles north of Hwy 20. Yesterday’s operations focused on establishing control lines around the fire and conducting tactical burnout operations intended to harden and secure control lines around the fire. Control lines included using FSR 28 on the eastern flank and tying a system of roads to the north and west, including FSR 480 and FSR 2020, over to FRS 28. Crews and dozers also worked in coordination to establish control lines along the southern perimeter of the fire. Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) resources have pivoted to assist with the Telephone Fire. These crews continue to identify and complete surface prep on homes north of Hwy 20 and along the drainages including Reed, Harney, King Mountain, Rattlesnake Road/FSR 28, and surrounding areas. 

Today, crews will continue to construct control lines around the fire and then strengthen and hold them. Aerial resources will be available to help with suppression operations. 

Falls Fire: Containment lines continued to hold along southern portions of the fire perimeter. Increased containment along the southern flank has allowed resources to be re-directed to more active areas of the fire. These areas include the upper northeast corner, near FSR 68 and FS 47, the areas in and adjacent to the community of Izee; the northern flank near the Gilbert Ridge area; and the upper southeast corner near the Myrtle Park Meadows and Gold Hill area. 

In the northwest corner of the fire, firefighters continued to hold and mop-up line below the western slopes of Burnt Mountain along FSR 4785 near Coral Creek south and east to FSR 47 near the junction with FSR 3150. Construction of secondary contingency (backup) dozer line has been completed to the northwest near Snow Mountain along FSR 4781 and also north and south off FSR 4781 in the Snow Mountain area. Crews continued to connect fireline back into FSR 3150 in the northeast corner of the fire. The road will be used as an anchor for conducting tactical burnouts. In the northeast corner, crews continue to hold and mop-up established control lines.  Work will also continue further east on the 3150 preparing it to use as a control line, including using it as an anchor for conducting tactical burnouts. Firefighters will scout for additional opportunities to establish a continuous secondary control line running east to west, north of the fire. In the northwest corner, crews will continue to hold and mop-up established control lines.  Yesterday, the majority of OSFM Task Forces remained in patrol status for a second day in the Izee and Red Hill areas. Reports from these crews are positive, noting a reduced threat to structures in these areas. Two OSFM engines will remain assigned to these areas to patrol and monitor fire line near structures.

The northeast corner of the fire remains active.  Firefighters will continue to hold and mop up areas adjacent to the FSR 31 south of Myrtle Park Meadows, and work on tying the fire back into the FSR 31. In the northwest corner of the fire, firefighters continued to hold and mop-up line below the western slopes of Burnt Mountain along FSR 4785 near Coral Creek south and east to FSR 47 near the junction with FSR 3150. Structural and wildland crews are coordinating to protect structures and mitigate risk to the Gold Hill and Silvies Valley areas. There are structural crews in placed along the Hwy 395 corridor, providing protection to structures on both the east and west sides of the highway.

Patrol and mop-up operations will continue along the south half of the fire perimeter – the area spanning from the southwest perimeter of the fire to near the upper northwest perimeter. One structure engine will patrol the Red Hill area. Further north, away from the fire perimeter, construction will continue on a planned secondary contingency line along FSR 37 just west of Hwy 395 in the Fisk Gulch area.  This secondary contingency line is part of an alternate plan and will run east to west using portions of FSR 37 and FSR 31.  

Thanks to the combined efforts of OSFM and wildland resources, the structural threat has gradually declined in stable areas of the Falls Fire. However, the threat remains present in portions of both the Falls and Telephone Fires. Structural protection needs will continue to be evaluated daily and resources will be shifted in alignment with the incident needs. 

Weather: Extreme fire weather is predicted for today.  A cold front will move over the fire today which will bring gusty westerly winds, thunder and rain. General winds will be the strongest that the fire has seen so far. Winds will peal after 3 PM. Thunderstorm chances are highest between 2-4 PM.  Outflow winds from thunderstorms could reach 50 mph.  These thunderstorms appear to be wet enough to cause debris flow-style flash flooding.  There is a 30% chance of wetting rain. Temperatures will range between 85-92 degrees. 

Evacuations: Evacuations remain in place in both Grant and Harney Counties due to the Falls and Telephone Fires. For the most accurate evacuation information, please visit the Harney County Sheriff’s evacuation map here: https://tinyurl.com/3zst4sjy, or the Grant County Emergency Management Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068819321423.  

Closures: Due to active wildfires compounded by extremely unfavorable weather conditions, limited firefighting resources and County Resources, Malheur National Forest officials are temporarily closing lands within the Malheur National Forest. This closure means that the public is prohibited from entering lands, roads, trails and recreation areas, and facilities on the Malheur National Forest. A detailed map and description of the closure area is available on the Forest website and at any Forest office. Closure signs will be posted on the ground. 

Investigation: U.S. Forest Service fire investigators are seeking the public’s assistance with any tips or information pertinent to the start of the Falls Fire on the Malheur National Forest. Please submit any information that could assist fire investigation efforts to SM.FS.R6TipHotLine@usda.gov.   

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Falls-Fire-2024-61562126623985/ 

Falls Fire InciWeb:  https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ormaf-falls-fire 

Telephone Fire InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/ormaf-telephone-fire 

Fire Information Line: 541-208-4370, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Email: 2024.Falls@firenet.gov 

Harney County non-emergency evacuation questions: 541-589-5579 

Air quality questions: 541-573-2271  

Smoke Outlooks: https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook 

RED FIRE UPDATE
July 24, 2024
Fire Information Line - 541-316-7711 

centraloregonfire.org    x.com/CentralORFire

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-news/ordef-red-fire

Size: 292 acres    | Location: 5 miles west of Crescent Lake Junction, Oregon   
County: Klamath | Start Date: July 17, 2024  | Containment: 0%   | Cause: Lightning   
Total Personnel: 156

Klamath County, Oregon — The Red Fire is located within the Diamond Peak Wilderness on the Deschutes National Forest, on the southwest slope of Redtop Mountain. The fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy.  The Southern Area Gray Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Fulton Jeansonne, assumed command of the fire on Friday, July 19, at 6:00 a.m. local time. Public and firefighter safety is the highest priority in managing this fire. 

The Diamond Peak Wilderness encompasses 52,500 rugged acres straddling the crest of the Cascade Mountains. It was designated in 1964 by the Wilderness Act, to be stewarded in its natural, undeveloped condition. Motorized equipment, motor vehicles, and aircraft are prohibited in Wilderness by federal law, with narrow criteria for exceptions. The USDA Forest Service has authorized the use of chain saws, portable pumps, fire retardant, and aircraft landings by firefighters on the Red Fire since initial attack.

A Red Fire Community Meeting was held on Monday July 22.  A recording is available here.

Yesterday’s Activities – Firefighters continued to assess and scout opportunities for control features within the Wilderness.  Construction of the shaded fuel break continued southwest of the Crescent Lake Junction community; along the west side of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks to the north, and along the north side of Forest Road 60 near Crescent Lake working southwest. 

Today’s Activities – Firefighters will continue to assess and scout opportunities for control features near the current fire footprint within the Wilderness.  Additional heavy equipment resources continue to arrive and, along with hand crews, resources will continue the construction of the shaded fuel break along the west side of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the north side of Forest Road 60, southwest of the community of Crescent Lake Junction.  Shaded fuel breaks thin dense tree stands to reduce a fire’s intensity while retaining enough shade to slow down ground fire.

    Heavy equipment working on the shaded fuel break along Forest Road 60 will cause periodic temporary traffic stoppages.  The public is encouraged to avoid travel on Forest Road 60 if possible.  In anticipation of a future forest closure for the area, the public is discouraged from recreating in the Crescent Lake area.

Weather – Mostly sunny today with haze throughout the day. Temperature 76-79 degrees, humidity 31-36 percent.  Light terrain driven winds in the morning will become west winds 10-12 mph in the afternoon, with evening gusts to 23 mph.  Overnight temperature will decrease to near 45 degrees, with humidity near 80 percent. 

Evacuation Notice – The “WILDFIRE! Level 1 – BE READY to Evacuate” notice issued by Klamath County Emergency Management for the Crescent Lake, Odell Lake, and Crescent Junction area remains in effect.  For information, or to sign up for alerts, visit: https://www.klamathcounty.org/300/emergency-management 

Klamath County Emergency Management. INCENDIO FORESTAL! Nivel 1 - ESTÉ PREPARADO para evacuar de las siguientes zonas: Crescent Lake, Odell Lake, Crescent Junction.

Red Fire Area Closures – An area emergency closure is in effect for the entire Diamond Peak Wilderness due to the Red Fire. For more information, visit the Deschutes National Forest website at:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/deschutes/alerts-notices/?aid=89091 

Fire Restrictions – Public use fire restrictions are currently in effect for the Deschutes National Forest. Visit CentralOregonFire.org or the Deschutes National Forest’s website (fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/home/?cid=stelprdb5297376) for more information.

Smoke from the Red Fire and other area fires will continue to impact air quality.  Air quality information can be found at https://fire.airnow.gov/. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire area. If you fly, we can’t. Unauthorized drone flights (UAS) pose serious risks to firefighter and public safety and the effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations. Aerial firefighting is suspended when unauthorized UAS are in the area, allowing wildfires to grow larger.

###

Pioneer Fire Update for July 24, 2024 
 Incident Commander Lonnie Click  
Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 3   
(541) 861-5808, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov

Quick Facts  
Size: 30,914 acres  
Start Date: June 8, 2024  
Location: 31 miles NW of Chelan, WA  
Containment: 14%  
Personnel: 695 
Cause: Human-caused, under investigation  
Resources Assigned: 11 crews, 5 helicopters, 25 engines, 28 water tenders, 17 heavy equipment

There will be a community meeting in Manson Wednesday, 5:30 PM at the Manson High School. The meeting will be streamed live on the Pioneer Fire Information Facebook page. Please submit questions in advance to 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov or via Facebook Messenger. 

CURRENT SITUATION:  Firefighters continued to engage in suppression and containment work on multiple fronts of the Pioneer Fire yesterday. Helicopters dropped water buckets on the northern flank of the fire as crews started construction of check line south of Flick Creek drainage.  The check line is designed to incorporate natural barrier to slow the progression of the fire along the lake shore. The state mobilized strike team, which arrived on Monday, received their engines and trucks by barge. The additional equipment will enable them to further structure protection around private structures within Stehekin. UAS (drones) were flown over the Lone Fir drainage west of Manson to search for heat using infrared technology. No hot spots were found across the drainage. Road work and vegetation removal continued on contingency lines east of Manson along the Forest Service Road 8200 area. 

TODAY’S ACTIVITIES: Last night the fire began backing into the Flick Creek drainage but has not crossed Flick Creek.  Today firefighters will focus their attention on holding that section of the fire in the Flick Creek drainage. The state mobilized strike team will continue structure protection preparations in Stehekin. Lone Fir drainage will be monitored for heat spots.  While monitoring the Lone Fir drainage crews will be poised for action as needed. 

WEATHER:  Inversions on Wednesday morning will give way to afternoon sunshine and warm temperatures reaching the mid 80s. The air will not be as dry as previous days but humidity levels may drop to around 25% in the afternoon. Light winds are expected early in the day and into the early afternoon. Wind speeds are forecasted to pick up later in the early evening with gusts of about 10 mph but may get up to as high as 20 mph. The winds will continue through Thursday of similar speeds. 

EVACUATIONS:  Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation levels remain in effect around the Pioneer Fire. Please visit https://t.ly/QoH9w for more information.

FOREST CLOSURE: Current closures for the North Cascades National Park: https://www.nps.gov/noca/index.htm
The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has a closure order in place for much of the fire area: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure. Campfires are prohibited. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place over the fire: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html. Unauthorized drone activity is prohibited under the TFR.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080 
Fire Information Line: 541-861-5808, 8 AM to 8 PM  
Email: 2024.pioneer@firenet.gov