Daily Update 8-20-2012
Incident: Waterfalls 2 Wildfire
Released: 8/20/2012
Fire crossed Shitike Creek on Sunday and pushed northeast up the mountain slope toward the Trout Lake access road - a run of several miles. The fire was pushed by ridge-top winds of 20 mph from the southwest which started spot fires as far as a mile away. Because of the intense fire behavior, planned burnout operations were delayed Sunday while crews and equipment retreated to safety zones. The fire has not crossed Whitewater River to the south.
The fire burned actively throughout the night, and this morning firefighters are taking advantage of daylight to scout the extent of the expanded fire perimeter. Crews will be working to protect historic structures in Peter's Pasture today.
Strong winds from the south and west are expected again today and through the night. Growth can be expected on the fire's north and east sides. A wind event currently forecasted for Tuesday could drive the fire further east. The fire is still several miles from Peter's Pasture this morning, and additional closures are anticipated north of the fire area to help assure public safety. The B210 or Trout Lake Road is closed.
Air resources assigned to the fire now total eight, with two fixed wing aircraft, two light-lift helicopters, two medium, and two heavy-lift helicopters. In addition, 13 crews, 21 engines, five dozers, and 16 water tenders are assigned.
Additional information is available on our website, www.inciweb.org/incident/3165.
