Ignitions are planned to start as early as 10/25/22 and continue through 10/30/22.

Lewis County lifts evacuations; fire operations slowed by weather

 

Current Situation: Yesterday, all evacuation notices were lifted for areas near the Goat Rocks Fire. Emergency managers, in consultation with fire officials, determined that enough precipitation had fallen to reduce fire behavior in the coming days and weeks. Additional rain is expected the rest of the week, with snow likely at higher elevations.

 

Snow, slick road surfaces, and falling trees are restricting access on many forest roads. Some firefighters are patrolling the area, looking for opportunities to safely work on cooling remaining pockets of heat. Other personnel are pulling more hoses, pumps, and other supplies from around structures in neighborhoods west of the fire. They are also removing flagging and cleaning up any other items left behind by the firefighting efforts.

 

The Siouxon and Sunset fires also experienced soggy weather, although scattered hot spots still remain in areas with heavy canopy and deep duff. Continued moisture is helping limit growth potential, but it is also making it difficult for firefighters to patrol or improve containment lines safely. Chipping and brush removal operations along Forest Road 311 near the Siouxon Fire were limited by snow in the morning. Road repairs on Forest Road 42 from Sunset Falls Campground to the first bridge will need a day or two of drying before work can continue. Road conditions will be assessed daily; in the meantime, firefighters will monitor and patrol the fireline where it is safe to do so. High winds will also pose hazards for firefighters working around both dead and green fire-weakened trees.

 

Weather & Smoke Information: With the recent precipitation and cooler weather, the fire danger on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest has reduced to LOW and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) has been lowered to 1. On Monday, rain and snow hampered operations, with slick roadways and limited visibility. Snow remains a possibility for Tuesday. Gusty winds combined with fog, ice and snow will affect driving conditions. Slower speeds are highly recommended, especially in areas where firefighters or equipment are present. Current weather conditions will keep fire activity to a minimum but smoke may be visible at times.

 

Forest Closures: A full list of closures in place for the Goat Rocks, Siouxon, and Sunset fires can be found under “Alerts & Notices” on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website.

 

Evacuations: On Monday at 11:30 a.m., Lewis County Emergency Management lifted evacuation notices for the Packwood area near the Goat Rocks Fire. This includes all areas north of Butter Creek (Goat Rocks, Lower and Upper Timberline, River Dance, and parts of High Valley). Residents are encouraged to sign up for their county’s emergency alerts to stay up to date on evacuation status and closures related to evolving incidents. Links to county emergency alerts can be found on the GPNF Fire Overview Page.

 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction remains in place on the Goat Rocks fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire, all aircraft are grounded until we can ensure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, please visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Winter Weather predicted for Goat Rocks, Siouxon, and Sunset fires

Current Situation: Light rain and some snow fell on the Goat Rocks Fire Sunday, with heavier rain and gusty winds expected today. Snow level is expected to drop to 2,000 feet before rising again late today. Fire personnel are running into snow-covered roads and fire lines in some areas, restricting work opportunities. Fire personnel are changing their plans to work in areas without snow. Yesterday firefighters removed structure wrap, hoses and pumps from around the structures by Packwood Lake. They also began removing portable water tanks, pumps, and hoses from the Timberline neighborhoods.

On the south edge of the fire, damaged trees are frequently falling onto Forest Road 41. Crews had been patrolling this road to check fire spread south toward Lake Creek. The level of hazard to firefighters from falling trees has been determined to be greater than the risk of the fire spreading south under the current weather conditions. Part of this road is now closed to fire personnel.

Scattered heat also remains on the Siouxon and Sunset fires; however, there is little to no growth potential. Firefighters continue to patrol and improve containment lines, mop up hot spots, and backhaul equipment. Suppression repair continues with chipping and brush removal operations along Forest Road 311 near the Siouxon Fire. Road rehabilitation with heavy equipment will continue along FSR 42 from Sunset Falls Campground to the first bridge. Progress is slow as roads are slick and sloppy, with a risk of black ice in the morning following overnight temperatures that are expected to dip into the 20s. High winds will also pose hazards for firefighters working around fire-weakened trees.

Weather & Smoke Information: On Sunday, the region experienced mostly clear skies under a cold northerly air flow. Rain is expected later in the day on Monday, with the potential for snow beWlow 2000’ overnight. Wind gusts up to 45 mph with a mix of ice and snow will affect roadways. Be prepared for winter driving conditions and slow down, especially in areas where firefighters or equipment are present. Current weather conditions will keep fire activity to a minimum but smoke may be visible at times. For current local smoke conditions, visit: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ or https://fire.airnow.gov/.

Forest Closures: A full list of closures in place for the Goat Rocks, Siouxon, and Sunset fires can be found under “Alerts & Notices” on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website.

Evacuations: Evacuations were lifted in the areas north and east of the Siouxon fire, although there are still several road and trail closures in the area. On the Goat Rocks Fire, all areas north of Butter Creek remain at Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation. For the most up-to-date evacuation information, please visit Lewis County’s Emergency Management website or Facebook page. Residents are encouraged to sign up for their county’s emergency alerts to stay up to date on evacuation status and closures related to evolving incidents. Links to county emergency alerts can be found on the GPNF Fire Overview Page.

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the Goat Rocks, Siouxon, and Sunset fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire, all aircraft are grounded until we can ensure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, please visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

  

Weather assists firefighters on Goat Rocks, Siouxon, and Sunset fires

Current Situation: Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Three has assumed command of the Goat Rocks fire from the Great Basin-Rocky Mountain Type 3 Team. Daily updates will now include information for the Goat Rocks fire, in addition to the Siouxon and Sunset fires. On the Siouxon and Sunset fires, yesterday’s fire activity was reduced to mainly creeping and smoldering within the interior due to rain and cooler temperatures. Isolated spots of surface fire continue to burn in pockets of duff that have been protected from the rain by a heavy tree canopy. Firefighters continue to patrol the fire’s edge, and they have made great progress on suppression repair activities.

Chipping and brush removal operations are expected to continue along Forest Road 311 near the Siouxon Fire. Road repair with heavy equipment is still being conducted along FSR 42 near the Sunset Fire, especially around bridges. Progress is slow as roads are slick and sloppy, with a risk of black ice in the morning following overnight temperatures that are expected to dip into the 20s. Firefighter and public safety remains the top priority, and motorists are asked to slow down, especially in areas where firefighters or equipment are present.

Rain has also reduced fire activity on the Goat Rocks Fire, but flames are still visible where fuels have been sheltered from the rain. Personnel are working in the Dam Creek drainage to keep fire south of Forest Road 46. In the Lake Creek drainage, firefighters are patrolling to ensure the fire stays north of Forest Road 41. Most of this edge of the fire continues to hold along the Three Peaks trail and the ridge between the Coal Creek and Lake Creek drainages.

Engines are patrolling the neighborhoods west of the Goat Rocks fire. With decreasing risk to structures, firefighters are removing some hoses and other equipment at Packwood Lake and in the lower part of the Coal Creek drainage. Surplus equipment is being hauled back to fire camp. Woody debris is being moved from along Forest Roads 1266 and 41. More ditches and culverts are being cleared to re-establish proper drainage.

Weather & Smoke Information: On Saturday, portions of the Siouxon and Sunset fires received over an inch of precipitation, and the Great Rocks fire received roughly one-half inch. Precipitation is expected to continue for the next few days, tapering off by Wednesday. Smoke in the area has greatly diminished. For current local smoke conditions, visit: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ or https://fire.airnow.gov/.

Forest Closures: A full list of closures in place for the Goat Rocks, Siouxon, and Sunset fires can be found under “Alerts & Notices” on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website.

Evacuations: Evacuations were lifted as of 11:00 Saturday morning in the area north and east of the Siouxon fire, although there are still several road and trail closures in the area. On the Goat Rocks Fire, all areas north of Butter Creek are at Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation. This includes Upper and Lower Timberline, Goat Rocks, Riverdance, and parts of High Valley. Packwood proper is not under evacuation status at this time. Information at: https://bit.ly/LewisCountyAlerts or https://bit.ly/LewisCountyEMFB.

Temporary Flight Restrictions: Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place over the Goat Rocks, Siouxon, and Sunset fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire, all aircraft are grounded until we can ensure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, please visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Effective September 26, 2022 an area closure order is in effect for areas near the Siouxon Fire on the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Administrative District within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. 

The full area closure order and an area closure map is available on the forest website.

For more information on the fires and closures on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, please visit the forest's Alerts and Notices page.

Effective October 21, 2022 an area closure order is in effect for areas near the Sunset Fire on the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Administrative District within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. 

The full area closure order and an area closure map is available on the forest website.

For more information on the fires and closures on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, please visit the forest's Alerts and Notices page.

A fire was reported on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in the Siouxon drainage on September 22, 2022, at around 6:30pm. Fire resources were dispatched to a site above the reported fire location and did not see or smell smoke. It was dark and an inversion had set in.
 
On Friday, September 23, Gifford Pinchot National Forest Fire Engine 631 responded to the reported fire and at 7:20 am found the Siouxon Fire burning in steep terrain within the 2020 Big Hollow Fire burn scar. That day firefighters took early and extensive action to suppress the fire. Helicopters and single engine air tankers worked the fire for 5-6 hours. As the fire size increased a Type 3 Incident Command Team was ordered. Despite early suppression efforts the fire grew to 30 acres that day.
 
To protect the public a closure area in the vicinity of the fire was established, and hikers and other forest users were evacuated from the closure area.
 
The Siouxon Fire continues to burn in steep, remote terrain in an unburned island within the Big Hollow Fire scar. The fire currently poses little threat to values at risk. A direct approach to suppressing the fire has little chance of succeeding and carries high risks of injury or death to firefighting personnel. These risks outweigh the probability of success with any actions they may be able to take on the fire.
 
Leadership has decided that due to the time of year, location of the fire, topographic challenges, and lack of safety mitigations available, the Fire team will not be staffing the fire on the ground at this time. Fire staff are monitoring the fire daily and posting road guards and signs to keep the public safe.
 Fire activity increases during periods of warmer, drier, windy weather, or when it reaches higher accumulations of fuels, and decreases when temperatures and winds drop, and humidity rises. Most of the fire spread has been through fuels on the ground, such as rotting logs and light slash. Larger fuels will continue to burn until they are fully consumed, extinguished along the Big Hollow Fire scar lines, or soaked by rain and snow. 
 
Public and firefighter safety remain the highest priority as crews work to monitor the Siouxon Fire.

Siouxon and Sunset Fires Update 
Saturday October 22, 2022 – 10:00 a.m. 

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team Three 
Bill Waln, Incident Commander 

Siouxon Fire Statistics:
Size: 2396 acres 
Containment: 0%
Total Personnel: 17
Location: 13 miles NW of Stabler, WA
Reported: September 22, 2022
Cause: Abandoned Campfire

Sunset Fire Statistics:
Size:  296 acres
Containment: 0%
Total Personnel: 21
Location: 8 miles E of Moulton, WA 
Reported: October 16, 2022
Cause: Undetermined

Rain tempers fire activity on Siouxon and Sunset fires

Current Situation: On Saturday, Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Three has assumed command of the Siouxon and Sunset fires and will continue the excellent work done by Sierra Front/Nevada Team 5. Yesterday’s fire activity was minimal, which allowed firefighters to patrol the fire’s edge, and continue mop up and suppression repair activities. Today, crews will continue chipping vegetation cleared along FSR 311 near the Siouxon Fire. On the Sunset Fire, road repair will continue with heavy equipment along FSR 42. Firefighters will also begin backhauling hose and other equipment used during the past week’s firefighting efforts on both fires. Due to cloud cover, aircraft were not able to map the fires on Friday night; as a result, no new perimeter maps are available.

Weather & Smoke Information: Cooler temperatures are expected on Saturday as a low pressure front moves through the area, with temperatures ranging from the upper 30’s to mid-40’s. Both fires received ½” of precipitation on Friday. An additional ⅓” of rain is anticipated on Saturday, with more rain predicted through Tuesday. As a result, smoke in the area has greatly diminished. For current local smoke conditions, visit: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ or https://fire.airnow.gov/. 

Forest Closures: The public is encouraged to give firefighters space to operate safely by avoiding the areas around both the Siouxon and Sunset fires. A Forest Closure Order is in place for the area near the Siouxon Fire. Key closures include Forest Roads 57 and 58, upper 64, Trail #130 (Siouxon Trail), and Trail #129 (Huffman Peak Trail). The closure order is available online at https://bit.ly/SiouxonAreaClosure; a map of the closure is also available at https://bit.ly/SiouxonClosureMap. A closure is also in effect in the area near the Sunset fire, including the Sunset campground and the East Fork trailhead; please contact the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument & District for more information: (360) 449-7800.

Evacuations: Level 1 “Be Ready” evacuations remain in place for certain locations north and east of the Siouxon Fire in an area that includes both Skamania and Clark County lands. For more information on current evacuation orders, please visit: https://bit.ly/ClarkCountyEvacMap. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Siouxon and Sunset fires. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire, all aircraft are grounded until we can ensure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, please visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Siouxon and Sunset Fires Information:
Information Office: (360) 370-4168
Email: 2022.siouxon@firenet.gov 
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8436/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiffordPinchot

Overview: The Sierra Front/Nevada Incident Management Team 5 continues to work closely with local officials from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Washington Department of Natural Resources to effectively and efficiently manage shared resources currently on the fires and continue assessing needs for additional resources.   

Fire Behavior: Fire fighters on the Kalama Fire continue working on suppression repair activities and cleaning drainages and culverts in anticipation of the predicted rainfall. Acreage is currently at 500 acres and containment increased to 43%. Crews will continue to reinforce lines on the fire and monitor fire activity. The Siouxon, Black Hole, and Sunset Fires currently have no containment and are currently at 2359 acres, 561 acres, and 277 acres respectively, with moderate growth. Crews will continue to conduct suppression operations and assessing the need for additional resources. There will continue to be multiple road closures in the area of the Siouxon, Black Hole, and Sunset Fires. The public is asked to stay clear of the fire areas so firefighters can safely do their work.  

Weather: Today’s weather will be partly sunny with 55-65% cloud cover. Maximum temperatures around 70 degrees with light winds and humidity around 45-55%.

Closures: 

• Kalama Fire Closure Order. View Map. 
  
• Siouxon Fire Closure Order. View Map. 
  

NOTE: Additional road closures in the areas of the Sunset, Siouxon, and Black Hole fires will be announced pending Forest Closure Orders.

Evacuations: The evacuation level for the Kalama Fire remains at Level 1 “Ready” from the headwaters of the South Fork of the Toutle River to south of Merrill  Lake, and from the Skamania/Cowlitz County Border west 5 miles into Cowlitz County.  All current road closures remain in effect. Level 1 “Ready” has also been ordered in the area around Chelatchie, Amboy and Yacolt.  See attached map for Level 1 evacuation area.
Level 1, Ready Evacuation: 

• North to South: From the Headwaters of the South Fork of the Toutle River to south of Merrill Lake.

• East to West: Skamania County/Cowlitz County border west 5 miles into Cowlitz County.

There is a Level 1 “Be Ready” Evacuation Alert in the vicinity of the Back Hole Fire which spans both Clark and Skamania Counties. View a Clark County Evacuation Zone map: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/19ce354ba5854fd1850e5aca55e4c534.

Sign up for county alerts for local details in case of emergency, such as fire evacuation:

• Clark County: https://member.everbridge.net/453003085616336/login
  

• Cowlitz County: http://www.klickitatcounty.org/1235/Emergency-Notification
  

• Skamania County: https://signup.hyper-reach.com/hyper_reach/sign_up_page_2/?id=45528  

Fire Information Phone Line: 360-449-7874
Public Information Officer: Nate Leising: 775-720-2749 
Forest Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/fire