Western Wildfires Update: Washington Blaze Now Nearly Three Times the Size of Seattle

Associated Press
Published: August 25,2015

Seventy firefighters from Australia and New Zealand, along with about 200 volunteers in the United States, have been called upon to help fight the largest wildfire in Washington state history.
The international crews, who arrived at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, were being outfitted to fill a critical shortage of mid-level fire managers, such as equipment bosses, strike team leaders and supervisors.

A map of the Okanogan Complex fires in progress.
(Image via Inciweb)

Chris Arnol, international liaison for Australia and New Zealand firefighters, said the crews are happy to help and well equipped to handle the rugged terrain in the Pacific Northwest. "They've been requested specifically for this type of terrain and this type of vegetation, and that's what their skill sets are aligned to," he said.
In addition, the Washington Department of Natural Resources issued a call for volunteers, hoping for former firefighters or heavy equipment operators who can bulldoze fire lines. Nearly 4,000 volunteers have answered the call, but only about 200 people with the right experience have been cleared to work.
At more than 256,000 acres, the Okanogan Complex of fires has surpassed last year's Carlton Complex wildfires as the biggest blaze in Washington's recorded history. That's nearly three times the size of Seattle. Only 10 percent was contained as of Tuesday evening.
The latest group of fires grew by more than 26 square miles Sunday and is expected to spread even more in coming days.
Isaacson called the record unfortunate and notes it's only Aug. 24, meaning the fire could burn for several more months. Officials are still trying to determine how many homes and other structures have been burned.
Last week, three firefighters were killed and four more were injured near Twisp, Washington.

Nearly 7.5 million acres have burned in wildfires this year – an area roughly the size of Massachusetts – according to the National Interagency Fire Center. That's well above the 10-year average of about 5.22 million acres through Aug. 24.

There are currently dozens of large wildfires burning across the West; here's an update on a few of them.

California

Schools were closed for a second day in the Southern California mountain community where crews battled a small but smoky wildfire burning through timber near a popular ski resort.
Firefighters held the blaze in Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains to 100 acres. As of Tuesday evening the blaze was 30 percent contained, revised from 50 percent earlier in the day due to better mapping and the emphasis on firefighter safety.
All schools within the Bear Valley Unified School District remained shut Tuesday because of poor air quality. Several mountain roads were off-limits.
(MORE: California's Giant Sequoia at Risk?)

Evacuations were lifted Monday for up to 500 homes, many of them cabins and vacation houses, near Snow Summit resort about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.
In San Luis Obispo County, firefighters reached 85 percent containment of a blaze that charred more than 5 square miles and prompted evacuations near the small town of Santa Margarita.
To the northeast, crews made headway against a huge wildfire burning for nearly a month in the Sierra foothills east of Fresno. The 81-square-mile blaze was 17 percent contained.
Fresno County supervisors on Tuesday planned to discuss declaring a local emergency to get the state to help with costs to fight the stubborn fire.

Idaho

An inversion trapping smoke from a group of fires in northern Idaho near Kamiah has slowed the flames and given firefighters a chance to strengthen fire lines.
Officials say crews on Tuesday are mopping up hot spots, but teams are mostly on patrol status on the fires that have scorched 74 square miles and destroyed 42 homes.
In west-central Idaho, fire managers say a 24-square-mile fire became active Monday and made short uphill runs, torching groups of trees.
Officials on Tuesday plan to continue building fire lines and protecting homes from the fire that's about 22 miles northwest of McCall.
Seventeen large fires are burning in Idaho, the most in the nation, the National Interagency Fire Center says.

Oregon

Two portable smoke monitors have arrived in Eastern Oregon, giving officials a more accurate reading of air quality near the Canyon Creek complex of wildfires.

One of the monitors was placed in Prairie City, which was very smoky Monday. The other will be put in Seneca.

Firefighters battling the blaze spent Monday patrolling, improving and holding control lines. Officials say crews are positioned to protect homes in the residential areas of Upper Pine Creek and Upper Dog Creek.

Along the southeastern portion of the fire, crews used existing roads and trails to strengthen lines in preparation for a burnout operation. That is expected to slow the progress of the blaze and corral it into the Strawberry Wilderness.

The wildfire has destroyed more than three dozen homes. It has scorched 114 square miles and is about 30 percent contained.

Montana

An inversion holding heavy smoke over western Montana is robbing wildfires of oxygen and preventing the sun from heating up ground fuels, helping firefighters make progress on fire lines.
Fire information officer Bob MacGregor says the days of lesser activity also get them closer to anticipated fire season-ending weather.
Residents near Essex remain under an evacuation advisory as a fire that has burned nearly 1 square mile remains about a mile away from the town on the southern edge of Glacier National Park.
Crews planned to do burnout work Tuesday on fires in northwestern Montana and northern Idaho. MacGregor says firefighters won't have to worry as much about the fires taking off because of the smoke.
However, the smoke has led to very unhealthy air quality in St. Mary and the Flathead Valley along with Frenchtown, Missoula and Hamilton. The air quality in Libby is hazardous.