Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fire Update Aug. 27, 2021 9 a.m.

 Northwest Incident Management Team 8 assumed management of the Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fires yesterday morning.  The incident command post remains at the Last Resort near Pomeroy, WA.  

Green Ridge Fire Statistics: Size: 39,546, Containment: 35%, Total Personnel: 220, Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla, Reported: July 7, 2021, Cause: Lighting. 

Lick Creek Fire Statistics: Size: 80,421, Containment: 100%, Total Personnel: 6, Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA, Reported: July 7, 2021, Cause: Lightning. 

Current Situation: Green Ridge Fire: Activity on the Green Ridge Fire was minimal. No infra-red flight was flown due to cloud cover, therefore the acreages remain the same.  A Wildland Fire Module began scouting the southeastern corner of the fire, near Jefferson Springs, for options to construct direct containment line and a twenty-person crew from the Umatilla National Forest has arrived to support operations. Crews will continue to patrol and mop up sections of uncontrolled line along portions of the northeast, near Clear Water lookout tower and guard station, and southwest corner near Godman Trailhead along Skyline Drive. 

Current Situation: Lick Creek Fire: The Lick Creek Fire remains 80,421 acres and is now 100% contained. Smoke will continue to be visible as unburned pockets of vegetation inside the fire perimeter are consumed. Crews will continue to mop-up any interior pockets of heat and patrol lines as they can safely.  

Weather & Smoke Information: Today’s weather will start out partly cloudy, becoming mostly sunny with haze. Temperatures will have highs between 59-64 degrees along the ridges and 69-74 degrees in the valley bottoms. Winds will be from the east-northeast to 6 – 10 mph with gusts up to 18 mph in the afternoon. Relative humidity will range from 45-50% above 5000 feet and 35-40% in the valleys. 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 includes all lands on the Pomeroy and Walla Walla Ranger Districts in Washington State.  The closure order is available at https://go.usa.gov/xFyhn. 

Evacuations: Garfield and Columbia County currently have Level 1 and Level 2 evacuations in place. For more information on evacuations, please visit https://go.usa.gov/xFQJ2 for full information.   

Temporary Flight Restrictions: For the safety of the firefighters and aircraft fighting the Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fires, a Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire areas. Please consult the “Notice to Airman” for specifics. Wildfires are a “No Drone Zone.”  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.