Incident: Wenatchee Complex Wildfire
Released: 0900 Hours – 9/29/2012
Related Information

INCIDENT QUICK FACTS

Location: North, west and southwest of Wenatchee, Wash.

Total acres: 55,085

Containment: 40 percent

Start Date: 09/09/2012

Cause: Lightning

Resources: 19 Crews 38 Engines 10 Helicopters 2 Dozers 1,005 Personnel

Today’s Summary:

As firefighters on the Wenatchee Complex press ahead with rehabilitation efforts, they anticipate that today’s clear skies, stronger winds and lower humidity will produce more fire activity than has been observed in several days.

Ridgetop gusts as high as 20 mph were reported early this morning. With large fuels already exceptionally dry, winds will speed the drying of fine fuels, increasing the risk of fire spread.

Yesterday’s smoky conditions prevented aerial patrol of the Basalt, Pyramid, Maverick, Cuitin Lake, White Pine and Upper White Pine Fires, but on-the-ground checks of most showed no significant growth.

An infra-red flight last night reported an increase of 657 acres to bring the total acreage for the complex to 55,085.

Beginning at 9 a.m. this morning, a pilot car will guide one-lane traffic through Blewett Pass on U.S. Highway 97 from Milepost 163 to Milepost 166. Motorists can expect to see crews working in the area, searching out hotspots along the highway from a burnout operation earlier in the week. Please visit http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/trafficalerts for the latest information on U.S. 97.

As each fire in the complex reaches containment, local resource advisors are examining areas for the possibility of erosion, and are working with firefighters to put emergency stabilization measures into effect.

Until the area receives significant rain or snow, residents and visitors can expect to see smoke from fires in the complex, as interior islands of fuel continue to burn.

Fire Name Acres Percent Contained Summary

Canyon 7,559 96 Rehabilitation completed. Will be patrolled.

Byrd 14,163 95 Rehabilitation continues

Poison Canyon 5,911 75 Mop up continues. Backhauled surplus supplies and equipment by helicopter.

Peavine Canyon 18,953 42 The fire continues to produce smoke from a burnout operation and from interior islands of unburned fuel.

First Creek 1,361 90 Rehabilitation continues.

Pyramid 1,317 0 Under aerial monitoring.

Klone 1,364 10 Chipping of brush will continue along Shady Pass and Tommy Creek Roads for approximately a week. Pocket of unburned fuel continue to burn up to the dozer containment line.

Cashmere

Mountain 2,087 10 Crews continue to patrol, mop up, and hold the fire at the 8-mile Road.

Basalt 931 0 Under aerial monitoring

Sears Creek 477 40 Crews finished installing sprinkler kits around vulnerable homes. Will continue to monitor.

Maverick 21 100 Under aerial monitoring

REPOST

Source:  WA DNR