Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fires - Update | Aug. 12, 2021 - 10 a.m.

 

Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fire Update

Thursday, August 12, 2021, 10:00 a.m.

 

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black

Troy Hagan, Incident Commander

 

Green Ridge Fire Statistics: Size:  26,648 acres Containment:  15% Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: Lightning

Lick Creek Fire Statistics: Size:  80,421 acres Containment:  96% Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: Lightning

 Containment on the Lick Creek Fire Increases to 96%

Current Situation: Green Ridge Fire: The Green Ridge Fire grew to 26,648 acres on Wednesday and remains 15% contained. Wednesday was the second successful day of firing operations in Division M on the northern edge of the fire. The firing operations are removing unburned pockets of fuel between established fire lines and the fire’s perimeter south of the 22 (4022) Road. If weather conditions allow, firefighters will continue with firing operations again today. Crews continue patrolling and mopping up fire lines on the fire’s southwest edge.

 

With resources scarce locally, regionally, and nationally, fire managers have strategically allocated our resources across the fire. The northern perimeter remains the priority for resource allocation in an effort to secure the northern fire perimeter. Resources on the south side of the fire continue to scout locations for fire lines and contingency lines south and east of the fire. 

Current Situation: Lick Creek Fire: The Lick Creek Fire remains 80,421 acres and containment increased to 96% on Wednesday. Smoke will continue to be visible as unburned pockets of vegetation inside the fire perimeter are consumed. Crews will continue to patrol lines and mop up any interior pockets of heat as they can safely do so.

 

Rocky Mountain Team Black hosted a community meeting in Pomeroy on Tuesday night and Wednesday night in Dayton. Recordings of these community meetings are located on the Green Ridge Facebook page.

Weather & Smoke Information: Today’s weather is expected to continue with a warming and drying trend. The weather pattern is expected to remain hot and dry though Saturday. Temperatures will have highs between 80-85 degrees along the ridges and 90-95 in the valley bottoms. Winds will be light from the northwest at 5-10 mph. Humidity will drop today, ranging from 15-20%. Smoke information is available on Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

 

Forest Closures: Closures are in place on the Umatilla National Forest. Currently, all of the Pomeroy Ranger District and portions of the Walla Walla Ranger District near the Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires are closed to entry. The full closure order and map is available on InciWeb: https://go.usa.gov/xFXhP.

 

The forest closure for some areas on the Umatilla NF will be amended on Friday, August 13. The amended order reopens most Umatilla NF lands in Oregon. The order also closes all lands on the Walla Walla Ranger District in Washington; forest lands in the Pomeroy Ranger District will remain closed to entry. The amended order that goes into effect on August 13 is available at https://go.usa.gov/xFyhn.

 

Evacuations: Garfield County elevated evacuation orders for some areas near the Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires on Wednesday August 11. There are currently Level 2 and Level 3 evacuations in place in Garfield County. For more information on evacuations in Garfield County, please visit https://go.usa.gov/xFyM4 for full information.  Columbia County currently has Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1 evacuations in place. A map showing all evacuations in place is available at https://go.usa.gov/xFyME. An interactive map that shows evacuations and other important information is also available at https://tinyurl.com/yv2sypd4.

 

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.

 

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