Cache Creek Fire Final Update 9-11-12 11am
Incident: Cache Creek Fire Wildfire
Released: 9/11/2012
Contact: Matt Burks, 541-523-1364
September 11, 2012 11:00 AM
Inciweb Website: www.inciweb.org/incident/3202
Type 4 Incident Management Organization
Incident Commander Hale
Fire Camp at Thomason Meadows
Cache Creek Fire Final Update
Baker City, OR - This will be the last update for the Cache Creek Fire unless significant activity occurs. Information about the fire will continue to be available on the website http://www.inciweb.org/ . The transfer of command from the Type 3 team back to the local district with Type 4 Incident Commander Hale, occurred at 6:30 am this morning, September 11th. The estimated date of containment is September 26th.
Strong gusty winds blew over the fire area yesterday, and the containment lines held. Pockets of unburned fuels inside the fire lines continue to burn in the west and southwest areas of the fire, including Cook Creek, Cherry Creek, and Five Points Creek, producing visible columns of smoke. Smoke from burning inside the fire line will be visible until a significant amount of precipitation is received. Also, smoke from other fires in Idaho and Oregon has been visible in recent days. Crews will continue to build segments of direct fire line near the head of Cook Creek and Five Points Creek, as the fire reaches the flat surface at the top of the steep canyons, to safely anchor portions of the perimeter of the fire. Firefighters are looking for options to build fire line and tie the fire edge together around Cook Creek and Five Points Creek. Crews and engines will continue patrolling and mopping up the area between Buckhorn Lookout and Cold Springs Road, along the west and southwest portions of the fire, extinguishing any smoke that remains near the perimeter. The north, east and south portions of the fire are being monitored. One crew and five engines will remain assigned to the fire with the Type 4 organization. Air support will be available if needed. The road grading has been completed, to repair the surface of Zumwalt and other roads after their use by fire traffic. The chipping of limbs along roads has been completed. The water tenders have refilled the stock ponds, to replace the water used in fire suppression. The rehabilitation of the interior fire lines built by crews is continuing. Resource orders for fallers have been placed, to fall hazardous snags along interior roads within the fire.
The area closure remains in effect for public safety due to hazardous snags and active burning in the southwest part of the fire. The area closure for the Cache Creek Fire in the Hells Canyon National Recreation area of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest was revised on September 6th. The closure now allows the public to enter a larger portion of the fire area along the Snake River in Oregon. The eastern boundary of the closure starts at the Oregon/Washington state line and follows trail 1691 to Road 250, to trail 1705, to trail 1713, to trail 1731, to Cemetery Ridge Road, to trail 1724, to Power Line access road west of the Imnaha River. From the Power line access road the southern boundary of the closure follows the Dodson drainage to Forest Road 46. Forest Road 46 is the southwest boundary of the closure. The west boundary of the closure follows Cold Springs Road (Forest Service Road 4680) north to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest boundary in Horse Creek, and then follows the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest boundary to the Oregon/Washington state line. A map and description of the closure can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman or www.inciweb.org/incident/3202. The need for the closure will be assessed and removed as soon as possible. The Lower Imnaha/Dug Bar Road (FS Road 4260) is open.
Percent Contained: 90%
Started: 08/20/12 by Lightning, 42 miles NE of Enterprise, OR
Total Personnel: 87
Size: 73,697 acres
