Gnarl Ridge Fire Update 9-30-08
Incident: Gnarl Ridge Wildland Fire
Released: 9/30/2008
Northwest Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team
Carl West, Incident Commander
Gnarl Ridge Fire Daily Update
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
It has been unusually warm and dry for late September on the Gnarl Ridge Fire. At higher elevations, last night's temperatures hovered around 60 degrees. The relative humidity on the ridges stayed below 30%, These conditions are similar to the ones two weeks ago when the Gnarl Ridge Fire roared back to life in the middle of the night. Aggressive mop-up has helped to prevent a repeat of that level of fire activity, but the potential for a flare-up remains.
Some open flames were visible on the fire yesterday. "The fire is going where the fuels are," explained Roddy Baumann, the Fire Behavior Analyst for the Northwest Oregon Interagency Management Team. "Some areas have been burned so intensely that there is very little left to burn. The areas of concern are where there are green islands of fuel that can still erupt into flame."
Both day and night shift crews are using the information provided by the helicopter-mounted infrared sensor to prioritize where to work. The maps produced by this system indicate the number, location, and heat intensity of the hot spots. Using handheld GPS units, firefighters can home in on residual heat and extinguish it. Along Stranahan Ridge, crews using handheld infrared sensors found no new hot spots near the fire line between the Yellow Spike camp and the upper end of Eliot Creek, a distance of over 1 mile.
Today is expected to bring temperatures in the 70's and 80's, easterly winds, and a shift toward slightly higher humidity. In the afternoon and evening, there is a chance of thunderstorms. Fire officials have assigned seven engines, a dozer, a crew, and overhead personnel to respond in the event of lightning strikes or other fire starts.
Crews will continue scrubbing retardant off of Cloud Cap Inn today.
Closure information has been posted at trailheads leading into the closed area. Recreationists are encouraged to obtain closure information before planning trips to the northeast slopes of Mt. Hood. For closure information, see http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/conditions/index.shtml#hor or call the Hood River Ranger District at 541-352-6002.
Fire at a Glance (9/30/08)
Size: 3285 acres
Cause: Lightning on August 7th.
Location:
18 miles south of Hood River, OR and 7 miles south of Parkdale, OR
Evacuations: None
Containment: 70%
Expected Containment: 10/15/2008
Crews and Equipment:
Dozers: 3
Crews: 6 Type 1
7 Type 2
Helicopters: 2 Type 1 (Heavy Lift)
1 Type 2 (Medium Lift)
1 Type 3 (Light)
Engines: 30
Total personnel: 613
Closures:
For complete closure information, please see Page 2 of this update.
Contact Us:
For additional information, please contact us at the Gnarl Ridge Incident Command Post (ICP), Hood River County Fairgrounds, daily from 7am-9pm, at (541) 354-1836.
Additional Gnarl Ridge fire information is available online at http://www.inciweb.org/.
EMERGENCY FIRE CLOSURE
Until further notice the following campgrounds, trails and roads on the Mt. Hood National Forest are closed due to activity from the Gnarl Ridge Fire:
- Tilly Jane Campground
- Cloud Cap Campground
- Kinnikinnick Campground (Laurance Lake)
- Little John Sno·Park
- Red Hill Road #16 and associated spurs
- Cloud Cap Road #3512
- Forest Road 3520 and associated spurs
- Forest Road 2840 and associated spurs (Laurance Lake Road)
- Forest Road 3511 and associated spurs
- Forest Road 1811
- Forest Road 1810-640
- Timberline Trail #600 from the intersection with the Newton Creek Trail #646 north and west to intersection with the McGee Creek Trail #627
- East Fork Trail #650
- Bluegrass Ridge Trail #647
- Cooper Spur Trail #600-B
- Elk Meadows Trail #645 north of the intersection with the Newton Creek Trail
- Elk Meadows Perimeter Trail#645-A
- Lamberson Spur Trail #644
- Gnarl Ridge Trail #652
- Polallie Ridge #643
- Tamanawas Falls Trail #650-A
- Tamanawas Tie Trail #650-B
- Wagon Road #642
- Tilly Jane Trail #448
- Tilly Jane Trail #600-A
- Tilly Jane Trail #643
- Elk Cove Trail #631
- Pinnacle Ridge Trail #639
- Vista Ridge Trail # 626
- Mazama Trail #625 (a.k.a. Cathedral Ridge Trail)
For additional closure information please contact the Hood River Ranger District, during business hours, Monday through Friday, at 541-352-6002.
