Thursday, September 2, 2021

Green Ridge and Lick Creek Fire Update - Sept. 2, 2021, 10 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. 

*** Stay clear of fire-blackened areas for the many unseen hazards that exist, including live green, fire-weakened, trees which may fall without warning, and scalding hot stump holes.  Please maintain situational awareness of your surroundings when traveling and hiking in fire-damaged forests. 

*** Know before you go! Before going hunting, hiking or camping, be sure to check the forest, grassland or ranger district for fire restrictions or area closures.  For a checklist of fire-safe actions when enjoying the outdoors, visit the Forest Service at Know Before You Go.  

Green Ridge Fire Statistics: Size: 40,416 acres, Containment: 39%, Total Personnel: 149, Location: 30 miles east of Walla Walla, Reported: July 7, 2021, Cause: Lightning. 

Lick Creek Fire Statistics: Size: 80,421 acres, Containment: 100%, Total Personnel: 6, Location: 20 miles southwest of Asotin, WA, Reported: July 7, 2021, Cause: Lightning. 

Current Situation: Green Ridge Fire: Yesterday, firefighters working in the northeast corner of the fire used aerial infrared data to search for and mop-up hotspots. A Type 3 helicopter was used to check-up interior hotspots on the slopes of Diamond Peak.  Today, a ten-person Wildland Fire Module will be checking-up hot spots and mopping up in the southwest corner. Also, crews from the Umatilla National Forest will be cold-trailing the fire edge in the southeast corner of the fire from Jeffery Spring down to the Diamond Peak trailhead to the west checking for heat and mopping up. 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. 

As the interior of the fire continues to consume areas of unburned fuel, columns of smoke can be expected.  Fire crews will remain vigilant and continue to patrol containment lines and conduct mop up operations along the entire perimeter of the fire.   

Current Situation: Lick Creek Fire: The Lick Creek Fire remains 80,421 acres and is 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 range from 59-64 degrees along the ridges and 71-76 degrees in the valley bottoms. Winds will be north-northwest 6-8 mph with gusts up to 16 mph in the afternoon. Minimum relative humidity will be 28-33% above 5000 feet and 23-28% 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: Level 1 evacuations (be ready, stay aware) remain in place in Garfield, Columbia and Asotin counties.  For more information on evacuations, please visit your local county web pages for full information. 

Temporary Flight Restrictions: The temporary flight restrictions over the Green Ridge and Lick Creek fires have been removed.  However, 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) 542-7946 
Email: 2021.LickCreek@firenet.gov 
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7615/  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LickCreekFire 




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