Green Ridge and Lick Creek Update Aug. 28, 2021 9:30 a.m.

 **All Level 2 Evacuation areas in Columbia and Garfield Counties have been reduced to Level 1 effective immediately.  All of the Level 1 areas remain in place.   

**The Umatilla National Forest has reduced the size of the Fire Emergency Area Closure.  Please see the Green Ridge Facebook page for a full description. With the reduction of the Fire Area Closure, the visiting public is being asked to watch out for fire crews and equipment while traveling on roads.  Please drive safely.  

**A Virtual Facebook Live Public Meeting is Set for Sunday, 7 PM, August 29.  The meeting will be carried live on the Green Ridge Fire Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/greenridgefire2021. 

Northwest Incident Management Team 8 assumed management of the Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fires on August 28.  The incident command post remains at the Last Resort near Pomeroy, WA. 

Green Ridge Fire Statistics: Size: 39,598, Containment: 35%, Total Personnel: 216, 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: Activity on the Green Ridge Fire was minimal due to periods of rain Thursday night, high relative humidity, and cooler temperatures.  A Wilfire Use Module and Umatilla National Forest Type-2 IA crews made good progress yesterday and will keep building direct control line along the southeast corner of the fire from the Jeffery Spring area heading south to Diamond Creek Road in the area around Mount Misery.  Winds may be gusty on sections of the fire that today that could test secured line. Crews continued to patrol and mop up other sections of uncontrolled line along portions of the northeast corner, 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 be mostly sunny with haze. Temperatures will have highs between 66-71 degrees along the ridges and 75-80 degrees in the valley bottoms. Winds will shift east-northeast to 5 – 8 mph with gusts up to 15 mph in the afternoon. Relative humidity will range from 30-35% above 5000 feet and 25-30% 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 today (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.