Green Ridge Fire Activity Slows with Cooler Temperatures and Precipitation
Current Situation: Green Ridge Fire: Over the past 48 hours, the fire area received between 0.25 to 0.50 inches of rain which slowed fire activity. The Green Ridge Fire saw minimal growth, increasing to 39,351 acres and remaining 35% contained. There was no growth on the north and west sides of the fire yesterday in divisions M and K. Crews completed the work in Divisions P and S on the shaded fuel breaks along Hansen Ridge Road on the southeast side of the fire. Over the last two days, fire behavior has significantly decreased due to the high relative humidity and wetting rain over much of the fire area.
A warming trend will begin today which will bring lower relative humidity and a return to seasonal temperatures this week. The warmer, drier weather will begin drying fuels, which is expected to result in increased fire behavior through the first half of the week. Crews will continue mop up operations looking for areas of heat and engaging where it is safe to do so in divisions K and M on the north and west sides of the fire. With the completion of line preparation in Branch II, some resources will be transitioning to Branch I to assist with mopping up and patrolling the line. Three suppression modules and overhead positions will remain in Branch II, monitoring the southern perimeter of the fire.
Current Situation: Lick Creek Fire: There are no changes to report on Lick Creek and no future changes in the fire’s perimeter are expected. The Lick Creek fire remains 80,421 acres and 97% contained. The last 48 hours of rain and cooler temperatures have helped moderate fire behavior. The fire will continue to burn available fuels on the interior of the fire and smoke will be visible as fuels dry in the coming days. Firefighters will continue patrolling and improving containment lines along the fire’s perimeter, assisting with firefighting efforts on Green Ridge fire when needed.
Weather & Smoke Information: A warming trend is expected to start today, with sunny skies and increased winds. West-northwest winds are expected to be 10-15 mph, with gusts to 25 mph. Temperatures will be 65-70 degrees along the ridges and 70-75 degrees in the valley bottoms. Skies will clear out overnight with a strong inversion developing as ridge top winds will continue to gust into the overnight leaving smoke and haze trapped in the valleys into the morning. Smoke information is available on Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/
Forest Closures: Closures are in place on the Umatilla National Forest. The forest closure for some areas on the Umatilla NF have been amended. The amended order reopened most Umatilla NF lands in Oregon. The order also closed all lands on the Walla Walla Ranger District in Washington; forest lands in Washington on the Pomeroy Ranger District remain closed to entry. The closure order is available at https://go.usa.gov/xFyhn.
Evacuations: Garfield County currently has Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations in place. Columbia County currently has Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1 evacuations in place. The Grouse Flats area is currently under a Level 1 evacuation in Garfield County, Asotin County, and Wallowa County, Oregon. An interactive fire map that shows evacuations and other important information is available at https://arcg.is/0mrCe1.
Temporary Flight Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Green Ridge Fire and Lick Creek 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 be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.
Size: 39,351 acres
Containment: 35%
Total Personnel: 351
Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla
Reported: July 7, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Containment: 97%
Total Personnel: 14
Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA
Reported: July 7, 2021
Cause: Lightning
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