Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fire Update - Aug. 31, 2021, 9 a.m.

 **Please stay clear of firefighting operations and drive safely! The public should watch out for fire crews and equipment while traveling on forest roads. Some roads remain closed with barriers.  Barriers are in place to protect firefighters and the public, so please respect the closed areas.

Green Ridge Fire Statistics: Size: 40,059, Containment: 39%, Total Personnel: 153, Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla, Reported: July 7, 2021, Cause: Lightning.

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: Gusty winds yesterday tested and validated the strength of containment lines. There was no spotting and all containment lines held.  The winds aided the burning of interior islands and pockets of fuel. Fire crews will continue to patrol containment lines and conduct mop up operations. Further progress was made on direct containment of the fire in the southeast corner near Diamond Creek Road below Mount Misery.  The objective for this area of the fire is to establish containment line going south then west and tie into the Diamond Peak trailhead. Equipment no longer needed on the fire line is being returned to fire camp to re-supply other firefighting operations.  Resource advisors are onsite to provide knowledge of cultural and natural resource areas to be protected. Advisors are also mapping all suppression line constructed for future repair.

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: Continued mostly sunny today with smoke and haze.  Temperature highs will be cooler today dipping to 56-61 degrees along the ridges and 65-70 degrees in the valley bottoms. Winds will be west-southwest 6-10 mph with gusts up to 18 mph in the afternoon. Minimum relative humidity will be higher today ranging from 30-35% above 5000 feet and 20-25% in the valleys. Smoke information is available on Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ 

Forest Closures: A reduced Fire Emergency Closure is in place on the Umatilla National Forest and has been updated as of August 28, 2021. The closure order map can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd948170.pdf

Evacuations: Garfield and Columbia County have dropped all Level 2 areas to Level 1. 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.

Green Ridge Fire Information:
Information Office: (509) 542-7964
Email: 2021.GreenRidge@firenet.gov 
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7628/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenridgefire2021

Lick Creek Fire Information:
Information Office: (509) 780-6238
Email: 2021.LickCreek@firenet.gov
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7615/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LickCreekFire




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