Daily Update 9-18-12
Incident: Okanogan Complex Wildfire
Released: 9/18/2012
The two most active fires in the complex currently are the Buckhorn Fire and Goat Fire. The Leecher Fire and Hunter Fire are both in the mop up and monitoring phase.
The Goat Fire started late Saturday night and is now approximately 200 acres. A Level 1 Evacuation Notice is being issued for the Golf Course and Alta Lake community. This is a precautionary notice to allow those with special needs, pets, or livestock to make necessary arrangements. Crews have been improving the defensible space around communication sites located on Goat Mountain. There will be a public meeting tomorrow night, Wednesday, at 6:00 p.m. at the Alta Lake State Park to share information about the Goat Fire.
The Buckhorn fire is still approximately 3,000 acres. Crews continue to make progress lining the fire. No structures have been damaged to date. Structure protection continues to be a primary operational focus. Portions of the Gold Creek Loop Road will be closed again today due to helicopter bucket dipping in the adjacent river.
Approximately 115 Canadian firefighters have crossed the Washington border to assist at three of the large fire complexes in the state. Today a 14 person crew and a Division Supervisor will be joining suppression efforts on the Goat Fire.
Over the last week, the Methow Valley has experienced extremely low relative humidities multiple days in a row. This increases the chance of ignition and fire behavior. Smoke may begin to accumulate in the valley. To monitor real-time air quality, visit: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/enviwa/Default.ltr.aspx.
Even though the public may not be able to help on the fire line, their compliance with burning regulations is a crucial part of preventing wildfire in the valley. Grass and vegetation are extremely dry, any spark can ignite a wildfire. Compliance with road and trail closures also allows emergency responders to more safely complete their jobs.
Fire at a Glance
Size: 4,711 total acres
Hunter - 211
Leecher - 1,300
Buckhorn - 3,000
Goat - 200
Containment: 18%
Location: Vicinity of Carlton, Washington
Cause: Buckhorn, Leecher and Hunter - Lightning (9/8/12)
Goat Mountain - Under Investigation
Personnel: 499
Evacuations: A Level 1 evacuation will go into effect Tuesday afternoon 9/18 for homes on the west side of Golf Course Drive and on the west side of Alta Lake as far to the south as Whistling Pines.
A Level 3 evacuation is in place in the Gold Creek area near the Buckhorn Fire
Fire Information Number:
509-997-0568
