Update on Gnarl Ridge Fire 23 August 2008
Incident: Gnarl Ridge Wildland Fire
Released: 8/23/2008
Northwest Oregon Area Interagency
Incident Management Team
Carl West, Incident Commander
Gnarl Ridge Fire
Final Daily Update
Saturday, August 23, 2008
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Crews managed Friday to bridge the rain-swollen waters of Newton Creek to access the Mt. Hood Wilderness for removal of firefighting equipment from containment lines.
Rehabilitation of fire lines and hauling material out of the Wilderness will continue over the next two weeks. At least one helicopter is expected to be available to assist the ground crews.
Recent rains have definitely dampened fire intensity, but down logs and snags continue to hold heat. In the event of an extended drying period, the fire may come back to life. Crews working in the wilderness area will fortify lines as needed.
Management of the Gnarl Ridge Fire was turned over to a smaller Type 3 fire team at 0600 this morning, with Brett Thomas as the new Incident Commander. The Type 3 team will be headquartered at the Hood River County Fairgrounds, but crews will also rotate into the wilderness area for two- or three-night stints. The team will continue to monitor the fire as the late summer weather fluctuates.
This is the final daily update from Carl West's Northwest Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team. Periodic updates will be issued by the Hood River Ranger District as needed. For media inquiries, contact Rick Acosta at Mt. Hood National Forest, (503) 668-1791. For recreation and trail closures, call the Hood River Ranger Station at (541) 352-6002.
Fire at a Glance (8/23/08)
Size: 516 acres
Location: Cold Spring Creek Drainage in the Mt. Hood Wilderness, about 2 miles SE of historic Cloud Cap Inn.
Containment: 90%
Expected Containment: August 31
Cause: Lightning on Thursday night, August 7th
Crews and Equipment:
Crews: 1 Type 1
1 Type 2
Helicopters: 1 Type 2 (Medium Lift)
1 Type 3 (Light Lift)
Engines: 2
Total personnel: 174
Trail Closures:
·· Elk Meadows #645 from the Wilderness boundary near Clark Creek to the junction with the Tamanawas Tie
·· Trail #650-B
·· Elk Meadows/Bluegrass Tie #647-B
·· Elk Meadows Perimeter #645-A,
·· Gnarl Ridge #652,
·· Gnarl Ridge Cut-off #652-A
·· Lamberson Spur #644
·· Newton Creek #646
