Green Ridge and Lick Creek Update 8-18-21 10 a.m.

 Cooler, Wetter Weather Expected to Calm Fire Behavior

Current Situation: Green Ridge Fire: Yesterday, containment on the Green Ride increased to 26%. The additional containment line was added along the Rattle Snake Fire burn scar in Division K on the north end of the fire and to the west on the 22 (4022) Road in Division M. The fire is currently 38,410 acres. The fire’s growth yesterday was primarily on the south side of the fire in Division S. The fire continued to burn to the south along the drainages in Branch II, burning in unburned pockets of fuel. Yesterday, the fire remained within the existing fire perimeter on the west and north sides of the fire in divisions K and M, as the established fire lines held in Branch I.

With cooler weather and a chance of precipitation today, fire behavior is expected to calm across the fire area. Firefighters will continue to hold and improve completed containment lines in Division K and Division M, while improving the lines on the remaining uncontained fire line in this area. With firefighting resources continuing to transition from the north in Branch I to south in Branch II, heavy equipment will continue to be on the roads today. Crews will continue improving the Hansen Ridge Road on Forest Service, state, and county property to create a contingency line to prevent the fire from moving east. The fire is expected to continue slowly moving to the southeast with the expected northwest winds today.

Current Situation: Lick Creek Fire: The Lick Creek fire remains 80,421 acres and 97% contained. Fire will continue to smolder as interior fuels continue burning over the next few days. The fire is not expected to grow outside of its existing footprint. Firefighters will continue to mop up along the fire’s perimeter and monitor containment lines and continue to support the Green Ridge fire with resources as requested and available.

Rocky Mountain Team Black will be hosting a community informational update on the Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires today at 6:30 p.m. at the Laundry/Shower House (across from the Wenaha Bar & Grill) in Troy, OR. Operations staff will give the community a brief update on the fire followed by an opportunity for the community to meet with incident managers and agency officials as well as ask questions about the fires. This event will not be livestreamed due to constraints on bandwidth at the meeting site.

Weather & Smoke Information: Today is expected to be cloudy and cool. There is a 70% chance of rain over the fire area. Northwest winds are expected to be 5-10 mph, with gusts to 17 mph. Temperatures will be 57-63 degrees along the ridges and 67-75 degrees in the valley bottoms. 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://tinyurl.com/yv2sypd4.

Green Ridge Fire Statistics:

Size:  38,410 acres

Containment:  26%

Total Personnel: 541

Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla

Reported: July 7, 2021

Cause: Lightning 

Lick Creek Fire Statistics:

Size:  80,421 acres

Containment:  97%

Total Personnel: 27

Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA

Reported: July 7, 2021

Cause: Lightning