Lick Creek (Dry Gulch) Fire Update – Wednesday, July 14, 2021 – 9:00 a.m.

 Current Situation: Firefighters working on the Lick Creek Fire are reinforcing the gains made over the last week and constructing additional containment line. The north and east firelines are holding and fire activity is decreasing in those areas. Small spot fires occurred near the southeast perimeter in the area of the snopark on Tuesday and firefighters adjusted tactics to catch those spots before further spread could occur. Line construction and improvement continues in the Dead Horse Springs area. Structure protection work and patrol in the area around the Clearwater Cabins is ongoing.

Last night, fire personnel were on hand to answer questions at a public meeting in Pomeroy. The meeting was well- attended and the firefighters appreciate the support of the local communities.

Today’s Activities: The weather is forecasted to remain steady until mid-afternoon with continued hot temperatures and light winds. Later in the afternoon, winds are expected to increase with gusts up to 25 miles per hour overnight. Depending on alignment of wind and terrain this may aid firefighters by pushing the fire back on itself or it may test containment lines.

Along the north and east sides of the fire, mop-up and patrol efforts are ongoing. These efforts include looking for and extinguishing hot spots that could threaten containment lines. Crews along the west and southwest perimeter, from Clearwater Lookout to the Spruce Spring area, will continue constructing and reinforcing containment lines. This may include burnout, or using fire in a deliberate way to consume burnable vegetation between containment lines and the front of the fire.

Weather and Smoke Info: Hot and very dry weather continues, with relative humidity below 20%. Northwest winds that started around midnight will change to north-northwest in the morning and weaken in the afternoon. Smoke Information is available on the Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

Evacuations: Evacuation zones, and fire perimeter maps are posted on Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7615. The Red Cross shelter in Clarkston has moved to Echo Hills Church 3215 Echo Hills Dr. in Lewiston, ID. The shelter telephone number is 509-508-1299.

Closures: All Forest Service lands, roads, and trails within the Pomeroy Ranger District of the Umatilla National Forest are closed. For more information visit the Umatilla National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd931174.pdf.

ADDITIONAL FIRE INFORMATION:

Fire Information: 509-780-6238 Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7615/

Facebook: Dry-Gulch-Fire

Lick Creek (Dry Gulch) Fire Quick Facts
Start Date: July 7, 2021	Approx. Size: 63,533 ac.	Resources:
Cause: Lightning	Containment: 20%	16 Crews
Incident Commander:	Total Personnel: 666	54 Engines
Randy Johnson Pacific Northwest Team 3	Location: Approximately 2 miles SW of Asotin, WA	12 Dozers 21 Water Tenders