Green Ridge and Lick Creek Update August 8, 2021 10 a.m.

 Winds Push Green Ridge Fire to Merge with Lick Creek Fire

Current Situation: Green Ridge Fire: The Green Ridge Fire grew to 20,259 acres, representing a growth of 4,869 acres. The fire remains 15% contained. Yesterday, gusty winds caused the fire to grow steadily to the east and north beginning early in the afternoon. The Green Ridge Fire to grew onto the Lick Creek Fire’s contained perimeter on the east and across the Tucannon River to the north, spotting over the 22 Road. The growth into the previously burned area gives firefighters a good anchor point to construct line and stop the fire’s progress to the east. When the winds died down in the early hours of the night, crews were able to engage the spots north of the 22 road and will continue those suppression efforts today. Secondary control lines, or contingency lines, will be constructed by improving existing roads, trails, and natural terrain features. Crews continue making progress on the containment line southwest of the Panjab campground and patrolling lines on the southwest portion of the fire.

Current Situation: Lick Creek Fire: The Lick Creek Fire remains 80,421 acres and 90% 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 do so.

Rocky Mountain Team Black assumed command of the Green Ridge Fire and Lick Creek Fire today at 6:00 a.m. Team Black will continue to utilize the established information channels, specifically phone numbers, Facebook, and Inciweb pages for both fires.

Weather & Smoke Information: Today we can expect the weather to be mostly cloudy, cooler, and windy. A dry cold front last night will cause southwest winds to increase today. The gusty southwest winds along the ridges will continue through Sunday. The strongest winds will occur along the exposed ridges. Drainages that run southwest-northwest in Lick Creek will also have winds align along the drainages and accelerate, with 10-15 mph gusts possible. It will be cooler with higher humidity (5-10 percent) for the next several days. Smoke information is available on Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

Forest Closures: The Umatilla National Forest reopened many lands for public entry. Portions of the Pomeroy Ranger District and the Walla Walla Ranger District near the Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires remain closed. The full order is available on Inciweb: https://go.usa.gov/xFXhP

Evacuations: Garfield County has current Level 2 and Level 3 evacuations in place. Columbia County has current Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1 evacuations in place. For more information on evacuations, please visit https://go.usa.gov/xFQJ2 for full information. 

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 Statistics: Size:  20,259 acres Containment:  15% Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: Lightning

Lick Creek Fire Information: Size:  80,421 acres Containment:  90% Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA Reported: July 7, 2021 Cause: Lightning