Northwest Activity Summary for August 3, 2016

One type 2 IMT mobilized (Kewa in WA). In the past 24 hours, the weather was windy and dry east of the Cascades. Minimal lightning and precipitation in Northeastern Washington and west of the Washington Cascades. Moderate initial attack with three new large fires in Eastern Washington. Increased containment on existing large fires in Washington and continued growth on existing large fires in Oregon.

Northwest Current Incident Details

Incidents not Previously Reported: 3

Kewa WA-COA-000082. IMT2. NW Team 9 (Goff). 15 miles S of Inchelium, WA. Start 8/2. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 2,500 acres (+2,500). 0% containment. Timber and brush. Active fire behavior with wind driven runs, torching and spotting. Residences and structures threatened. Area restrictions and road closures in effect. IMT2 NW Team 9 (Goff) has been ordered with in brief planned this afternoon.

Snake River WA-WFS-000368. IMT4. 12 miles NE of Pomeroy, WA. Start 8/2. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 11,000 acres (+11,000). 0% containment. Timber. Active fire behavior with uphill and wind driven runs. Road closures in effect. Evacuations in progress. Fire Mobilization authorized (8/2).

Road 10 WA-WFS-000704. IMT3. 8 miles NW of Moses Lake, WA. Start 8/2. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 4,000 acres (+4,000). 0% containment. Fire Mobilization authorized (8/2). Limited information.

Incidents Previously Reported

Range 12 WA-SPD-000344. IMT2. NW Team 8 (Johnson). 14 miles E of Yakima, WA. Start 7/30. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 176,600 acres (+1,600). 60% containment. Grass and brush. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering and creeping. Structures and Sage-grouse habitat threatened.

Antilon Lake WA-SES-000340. ICT3. 10 miles NW of Chelan, WA. Start 7/29. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 315 acres (-225). 90% containment. Timber, brush and grass. Minimal fire behavior. Reduction in acreage due to better mapping.

North Touchet WA-SES-020574. IMT3. 26 miles NE of Walla Walla, WA. Start 7/30. Full Suppression and Monitor. Cause: Human. 536 acres (+11). 95% containment. Timber, brush, and tall grass. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Fire Mobilization authorized (7/30).

South Ward Gap WA-WFS-000353. IMT3. 1 mile S of Prosser, WA. Start 7/31. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 5,000 acres (+0). 40% containment. Grass and brush. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Line improvement and mopup.

8/1/2016 Quick summary of WA fire and air quality status

The Range 12 fire grew 58,000 acres (!) yesterday and there is now a suppression team on site so more news should be available soon via Inciweb. Air quality at the monitor in Sunnyside reached Unhealthy (red) overnight. Please check out the information on the Smoke and Health tab above for more information if you have health concerns, or check with your doctor if you are feeling effects from breathing smoke.  Air quality conditions in Sunnyside overnight and into this morning are shown below:

Range 12 WA-SPD-000344. IMT2. 14 miles E of Yakima, WA. Start 7/30. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 70,000+ acres (+58,000). 0% containment. Grass and Brush. Active fire behavior with wind-driven runs. Sage-grouse habitat threatened. Structures threatened. Transfer of command to IMT2 NW Team 8 (Johnson) at 0800 today.

North Touchet WA-SES-020574. ICT3. 26 miles NE of Walla Walla, WA. Start 7/30. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 525 acres (+225). 80% containment. Grass and brush. Active fire behavior. Residences threatened. Fire Mobilization authorized (07/30).

Black Rock Road WA-SPD-000597. ICT3. 18 miles WSW of Odessa, WA. Start 7/30. Full Suppression. Cause: Unknown. 16,600 acres (+1,600). 40% containment. Grass and brush. Active fire behavior with wind-driven runs. Structures threatened. Sage-grouse habitat threatened. Fire Mobilization authorized (07/30).

Antilon Lake WA-SES-000340. ICT3. 10 miles NW of Chelan, WA. Start 7/29. Full Suppression. Cause: Human. 540 acres (+40). 62% containment. Timber. Moderate fire behavior with uphill runs. Residence threatened. Road and area closures in effect.

7/31/2016 First fires of note for 2016

A number of fires are burning in Washington. It's still soon to get much information on them and none have pages on Inciweb yet meaning that suppression teams are not yet assigned or at least are still so new to the fire that the pages are not yet established. Watch the Inciweb link here: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/49/ for Washington fire news if/when teams are assigned. Until then this Northwest Coordination Center Link provides some information on fires in Oregon and Washington: http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx

The large and fast moving Range 12 fire outside of Yakima is producing enough smoke that it is very visible on the satellite photo below.  A quick survey of area air quality monitors indicates that conditions have not gotten worse than "Moderate" (yellow) so far. 

Predictions for the 2016 Fire Season

Every year, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, ID, tracks large scale weather patterns and predicts whether the coming fire season will be below normal, normal, or above normal across the U.S.  http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/predictive/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf
(These are only predictions though, and the actual severity of the fire season will depend on factors that are less predictable months in advance such as lightning occurrence and winds.)
7 day significant fire potential for Pacific NW
Fire Potential: Large fire potential remains low for the moment but will rise over the weekend and next week as the weather pattern undergoes a major shift. Consistently warmer and drier weather will boost fire danger for the next week or ten days across just about the entire geographic area. As the drying trend intensifies, we will have to watch for the next outbreak of lightning or strong, dry winds. http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/content/products/fwx/guidance/DL.pdf

 

3/29/2016 Spring Prescribed Burning

Spring can be a safe time to use prescribed fire in the forest to reduce accumulations of woody debris and brush, make wildlands more fire safe, and improve wildlife habitat. In addition, wildland fire fighters get a chance to hone their skills and get into physical condition in preparation for the wildfire season to come.

Seeing or smelling smoke? In Washington, the Department of Natural Resources regulates most uses of prescribed fire in wildlands if over 100 tons of material will be burned. They make daily go/no-go decisions considering the potential for smoke to impact the public. You can see if burning has been requested or approved near you by visiting this page:  https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/protection/burnrequests/

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest posts general spring burning plans by Ranger District here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/okawen/home  Contact the local Ranger District office with concerns or questions.

Burn Ban Information Page

Cold weather and stagnant air can lead to an unhealthy build-up of wood smoke pollution.  Find out if there is a burn ban in your area by visiting the Washington state burn ban page:

http://waburnbans.net/

Now that was a bad wildfire year!

Wildfires in 2015 burned more acres in Washington State than the last 5 years combined, according to data from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. Abnormally warm temperatures, a snow drought last winter, early snow melt this spring and a mostly dry summer were among the reasons.

  

Year	Acres burned by Washington wildfires
2010	56,820
2011	17,480
2012	259,526
2013	152,603
2014	386,972
2015	1,005,423 (as of September 30th)

In addition to the tragic loss of lives and property, many people were forced to breathe heavily polluted air for several days. Eastern Washingtonians were exposed to an average of about 11 days where air quality was either Unhealthy or worse, compared to an average of about 7 days in recent years with bad wildfires.

As can be expected, air quality varied widely from place to place. Omak for instance saw air quality degrade much more than it did in past years, while Wenatchee did not see air that was as bad as they did in 2012. Not all smoke plumes are measured by the network of air quality monitoring sites. Several temporary monitors placed in smoke impacted communities at different times recorded poor air quality, but their data have not been considered in the above analysis.

Satellite picture on 23 August 2015 shows widespread smoke in the Pacific NW. Measured air quality conditions are also indicated in colored dots

While the human body can recover from short term exposure to wildfire smoke, it is well known that smoke inhalation causes breathing difficulties among people with prior respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. Elderly people, pregnant women, infants and children can be susceptible at lower pollution levels. Extreme smoke levels can trigger heart attacks or strokes, even among healthy people. 

As we transition from wildfire season to home heating season, the public is encouraged to observe any burn bans that might be imposed in case of stagnant air and take necessary precautions to limit exposure to impaired air. If you are a wood burner, make sure you only burn dry, seasoned firewood in small, hot fires. A low-polluting woodstove or pellet stove would make an excellent Christmas gift. Your family and neighbors will thank you for it.

10/15/2015 Fall Prescribed Burning

This is the time of year when land managers and firefighters have a chance to safely use fire in a controlled manner to reduce fuel loads in the forest. Prescribed burning can benefit ecosystems, improve wildlife habitat, and lessen the chance of future uncontrollable wildfires and severe smoke episodes. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulates forestry burning in Washington and always attempts to keep smoke from impacting the public to any great extent. You can find out if there's an approved forestry burn near you by visiting this page:
https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/protection/burnrequests/

Special Air Quality Briefing from National Weather Service

Check out the Special AQ briefing by the National Weather Service released on Tuesday September 29, 2015. 

PDF of briefing slides:

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/otx/outreach/briefing/wxbrief_slides.pdf

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Sunday September 20, 2015

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Sunday September 20, 2015

Prepared by Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee

This will be the final report for this area. Please check current monitor status for up to date information Smoke Summary: A dry, cold front is expected to pass through the area with windy conditions occurring late this afternoon into the evening. Warmer temperatures and a potential for some light rains, especially over the northern parts of the Tunk and North Star Fires, are expected. Low relative humidities will allow for heavy fuels to continue burning out while fire behavior is expected to be minimal overall. Extended Outlook:  Winds will subside on Monday, and the weather will be dry and mild through at least Wednesday. *Monitoring stations for Tonasket, Orient, and Kettle Falls have been shut down due to machine malfunction as of 09/10/2015.
Site	Air Quality			Comments
	September 19 Saturday	September 20 Sunday	September 21 Monday
Spokane Metro	Good	Good	Good	Communities nearest to the fires may see some haze and smoke from burnout activities.
Davenport	Good	Good	Good
Colville	Good	Good	Good
Kettle Falls*	Good	Good	Good
Wellpinit	Good	Good	Good
Orient*	Good	Good	Good
Inchelium	Good	Good	Good
Omak	Good	Good	Good
Nespelem	USG	Moderate	Moderate	Early hours may be in the USG or moderate range but expect good to moderate depending on local winds as the day progresses.
Republic	Unhealthy	USG	USG
Tonasket*	Good	Good	Good
Disclaimer: Conditions may change quickly. These predictions are based on anticipated weather and fire activity.  The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review. AQI’s estimated for sites with air monitors.

  Webcam in Republic, WA: http://rcabletv.com/cam_republic.html

For information on what each Air Quality Index color code means, click on the “Smoke and Health” tab above.

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Saturday September 19, 2015

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Saturday September 19, 2015

Prepared by Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee

Smoke Summary: Similar to yesterday but a little bit warmer, drier air is expected along with a mix of sun and clouds. Low relative humidities will allow for heavy fuels to continue burning out while fire behavior is expected to be minimal overall. Extended Outlook:  Dry air and warming continues today with windy weather coming through the region starting Sunday as several weak weather disturbances pass through. Next week looks to be mild and dry through the middle of the week. *Monitoring stations for Tonasket, Orient, and Kettle Falls have been shut down due to machine malfunction as of 09/10/2015.
Site	Air Quality			Comments
	September 18 Friday	September 19 Saturday	September 20 Sunday
Spokane Metro	Good	Good	Good	Communities nearest to the fires may see some haze and smoke from burnout activities.
Davenport	Good	Good	Good
Colville	Good	Good	Good
Kettle Falls*	Good	Good	Good
Wellpinit	Good	Good	Good
Orient*	Good	Good	Good
Inchelium	Good	Good	Good
Omak	Good	Good	Good
Nespelem	Moderate	Moderate	Good	Early hours may be in the USG or moderate range but expect good to moderate depending on local winds as the day progresses.
Republic	USG	USG	Moderate
Tonasket*	Good	Good	Good
Disclaimer: Conditions may change quickly. These predictions are based on anticipated weather and fire activity.  The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review. AQI’s estimated for sites with air monitors.

Republic, WA Webcam: http://rcabletv.com/cam_republic.html

For information on what each Air Quality Index color code means, click on the “Smoke and Health” tab above.

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Friday September 18, 2015

Air Quality Forecast-NE Washington Regional Fires- Friday September 18, 2015

Prepared by Carolyn Kelly (ckelly8384@gmail.com), Air Resource Advisor Trainee

Smoke Summary: Drier air is expected today along with a mix of sun and clouds. Temperatures will increase and there is potential for showers later in the day. Fire behavior is expected to be minimal. Extended Outlook:  Dry air and warming is expected through the weekend with windy weather coming through the region starting Sunday as several weak weather disturbances pass through. Next week looks to be mild and dry through the middle of the week. *Monitoring stations for Tonasket, Orient, and Kettle Falls have been shut down due to machine malfunction as of 09/10/2015.
Site	Air Quality			Comments
	September 17 Thursday	September 18 Friday	September 19 Friday
Spokane Metro	Good	Good	Good	Communities nearest to the fires may see some haze and smoke from burnout activities on local fires.
Davenport	Good	Good	Good
Colville	Good	Good	Good
Kettle Falls*	Good	Good	Good
Wellpinit	Good	Good	Good
Orient*	Good	Good	Good
Inchelium	Good	Good	Good
Omak	Good	Good	Good
Nespelem	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Early hours may be in the USG or moderate range but expect good to moderate depending on local winds.
Republic	USG	Moderate	Moderate
Tonasket*	Good	Good	Good
Disclaimer: Conditions may change quickly. These predictions are based on anticipated weather and fire activity.  The air quality outlook is based on data from automated instruments that have not been subjected to a quality assurance review. AQI’s estimated for sites with air monitors.

Republic, WA Webcam: http://rcabletv.com/cam_republic.html

For information on what each Air Quality Index color code means, click on the “Smoke and Health” tab above.