Western Wildfires Update: Favorable Weather Helps Crews Advance on Washington Blaze

Associated Press
Published: September 1,2015

Cool, wet weather helped firefighters make gains on several massive wildfires burning in the Pacific Northwest.
In Washington, the North Star Complex of wildfires stood at 320 square miles and was 25 percent contained.
A small amount of rain that fell Sunday didn't even reach the floor of the burning forests, but raised humidity levels, which helped firefighters, fire spokesman Donnie Davis said.
Temperatures in the 50s and 60s on Monday morning inhibited growth of the fire, which was burning east of Omak and north of Nespelem, Davis said.
(MORE: Air Quality Worse in Some Northwestern Towns Than Beijing)

Meanwhile, the Okanogan Complex of wildfires stood at about 40 percent containment on Tuesday. Spokesman Bernie Pineda said rain and breezes cleared the smoky air.
"You can see the surrounding foothills," Pineda said.
Three firefighters died when their truck crashed and was overrun by flames while they tried to escape the Okanogan wildfires two weeks ago. A fourth firefighter, 25-year-old Daniel Lyon, sustained burns on more than 60 percent of his body. He underwent his third successful burn surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Monday and remained in serious condition.
The Okanogan Complex became the largest wildfire in state history last week, covering more than 470 square miles.
But fire managers split the Tunk Block Fire out of the Okanogan Complex and gave management of that blaze to North Star fire officials, Davis said. That's because the two fires were only about 5 miles apart and were expected to merge, Davis said.
More than 8.1 million acres have burned in wildfires this year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. That's well above the 10-year average of about 5.5 million acres through Aug. 31.
There are currently dozens of large wildfires burning across the West; here's an update on a few of them.

Oregon

Evacuation warnings remain for those threatened by a wildfire south of John Day, but mild weather helped crews fighting the blaze that has burned 165 square miles and destroyed 43 homes.
Fire spokeswoman Stacey Weems says crews made good progress on priority hot spots Monday. Firefighters on the southeast part of the fire completed a burnout along the Strawberry Wilderness boundary and plan to start mopping up Tuesday.
On the northeast, firefighters used dozers to complete a control line around a hot spot that flared just outside the perimeter. Hotshot crews, meanwhile, scouted the eastern flank to assess options for a direct attack.
The fire is 49 percent contained, but Weems says that figure could soon jump considerably.
Though wind gusts of up to 35 mph were expected Tuesday evening, much cooler weather is on the way. From Wednesday through Sunday, the forecast calls for high temperatures in the 60s and low 70s.

Idaho

Evacuation notices of various levels remain in effect in west-central Idaho where a wildfire burning in timber expanded by 12 square miles to 135-square-miles Tuesday.
Fire managers say crews are working to protect structures along the Salmon River corridor and that rafters are being stopped and evacuated before entering the fire perimeter.
The fire has expanded by more than 50 square miles after jumping the Salmon River over the weekend amid strong winds.
In northern Idaho, a 53-square-mile fire is within 5 miles of the Fenn Ranger Station, built in 1936 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fire managers say the fire has expanded rapidly in recent days due to gusty winds and a shortage of firefighting resources.
Eighteen large wildfires are burning in Idaho.

Alaska

Additional firefighting crews were expected to arrive Friday to help battle a wind-whipped wildfire that prompted evacuation orders for a small Kodiak Island community and destroyed a library and some other properties.

The fire erupted Thursday in Chiniak (chihn-ee-AHK'), which is about 10 miles southeast of Kodiak on the easternmost point of Kodiak Island. Kodiak Fire Chief Jim Mullican told KMXT radio the fire was burning out of control.

The cause of the blaze wasn't immediately clear. There also was no immediately reliable estimate for its size, Kodiak City Manager Aimee Kniaziowski told the station.

Police said the library had burned down and some properties had been destroyed.

Montana

The Flathead County sheriff's office has lifted the mandatory evacuation order for residents of Essex, on the southern edge of Glacier National Park.
The evacuation order was lifted at 6 a.m. Monday. Residents were asked to remain prepared to leave again if fire conditions warrant.
U.S. Highway 2 also reopened at 6 a.m., with pilot cars escorting traffic through a 9-mile stretch of the highway.
BNSF Railway and Amtrak trains are running intermittently.
The over 3-square-mile fire that caused the evacuation is burning about a mile south of Essex, and about an eighth of a mile from the train tracks.
Meanwhile, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials planned to close the Alberton Gorge section of the Clark Fork River on Monday because water is being taken from the river to fight nearby fires.

California

A stray shot at a Salinas firing range sparked a blaze that burned 48.8 acres and took dozens of firefighters to contain.
The Monterey County Herald reports that the fire began around 1 p.m. Sunday when a shooter at the Laguna Seca Rifle and Pistol Range accidentally shot a concrete culvert that diverts rainwater. A spark from the bullet ignited nearby grass.
Ten fire trucks, two air tankers, two helicopters, about 40 firefighters and two prison inmate crews responded to the blaze. It was extinguished after about an hour. There were no injuries and no structures were destroyed.
Officials say there will be no charges for the shooter or fines for the range, which will be taking out the concrete culvert.