Cache Creek Fire Update August 30 9pm
Incident: Cache Creek Fire Wildfire
Released: 8/31/2012
Cache Creek Fire Update
Oregon Incident Management Team 3 - Central Oregon
Incident Commander: Mark Rapp
For Immediate Release: August 30, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Fire Information Center: 541-432-0163
Inciweb Website: www.inciweb.org/incident/3202
The community public meeting held in Imnaha tonight was well attended. A community meeting will be held tomorrow night in Joseph at 5pm.
The Cache Creek Fire is close to 30 river miles long in the Snake River in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. The northern most area of the fire is in Asotin County, Washington extending to the confluence of the Imnaha River in Oregon. Approximately 72,000 acres burned and is 55% contained.
There are no more ground resources on the Washington part of the fire. Due to the large size of this fire, air patrols monitor the fire perimeter along the north and northwest sides. Engines are patrolling on the Oregon side to initiate any response needed. These areas are considered contained due to the lack of fire activity in recent days. The west/southwest perimeter the fire has stalled on a ridge near Five Point and Cook Creek. The excessive steepness and extreme terrain are making this area inaccessible to firefighters. A plan for this area, which is still burning, will place firefighter and public safety first. The rest of the perimeter going south has been cold trailed an is in mop-up stage.
The fire and weather are cooperating in the southwest corner, allowing crews direct line construction on the fire. Forest Service 46 Road, which has been prepped for burnout, now serves as a contingency line, saving thousands of burned acres
Firefighters held the line along the Powerline Road in the Imnaha drainage. Crews worked to surround the fire's southern perimeter and burn out along the Powerline Road to increase the amount of black along the road and which strengthened the containment line.
Fallen timber, rolling debris, and rocks in the fire area make the area unsafe for public activities. A Forest Area Closure remains in place on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. A map and description of the Forest Closure can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman or www.inciweb.org/incident/3202 A partial closure of Forest Service Road 46 remains in place. An alternate route is available to detour around the fire area. Road guards are staffing road blocks limiting public access into the fire area for both firefighter and public safety. The need for the closures will be assessed daily and removed as soon as possible.
The Wallowa County Sheriff's Department (WCSD) issued a closure on Lower Imnaha Road/Dug Bar Road (Forest Service Road 4260). The closure begins at the junction of Fence Creek (six miles north of Imnaha) north to the Dug Bar Landing on the Snake River. The WCSD will be staffing the closure.
Location: Wallowa and Asotin Counties
Date Started: 08/20/12
Cause: Lightning
Injuries: 3
Size: 72,000 acres
Percent Contained: 55%
Total Personnel: 873
