CALIFORNIA
Incident: Salmon River Complex Wildfire
Released: 2000 PDT 8/13/13
Bulter Fire and Salmon River Complex-Air Quality Report Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Prepared by: Mark Fitch and Ryan Bauer
Yesterday, August 12, 2013
Similar conditions to the day before were seen. Smoke inversions broke early giving all areas at least a few hours of improved air quality. Most areas remained in the good to moderate range all day and into the evening. Increased fire activity on the Corral Complex caused afternoon smoke impacts in Sawyers Bar, Forks of Salmon, Somes Bar, Fort Jones, Etna, and Yreka. Most areas improved by early evening, with the exception of Sawyers Bar and Forks of Salmon.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Smoke from the Butler Fire and Salmon River Complex will impact Somes Bar to Orleans in the early morning hours starting around 4:00 AM. The smoke will start to lift around 2:00 PM as southwest winds pick up. Residual smoke will linger over Willow Creek, Hoopa, and Weitchpec through the nighttime hours. Smoke from the Corral Complex will roll in around 9:00 AM possibly reaching the unhealthy for sensitive groups range. This smoke will start to clear around 2:00 PM and by 6:00 PM AQI levels will return to the moderate to good range. Happy Camp will be in the good range most of the day with a couple of hours that might reach moderate levels. For Etna, Ft. Jones, and Yreka, light smoke and haze throughout the morning and early afternoon, increasing around 3:00 to 4:00 PM when AQI levels will reach the moderate range. Forks of Salmon and Sawyers Bar will be in the unhealthy for sensitive groups range all day, becoming unhealthy during the nighttime hours.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Smoke in the early hours will pool in the Somes Bar and Orleans areas; AQI levels may reach unhealthy for sensitive groups for a short time between 4:00 and 6:00 AM. Weitchpec, Hoopa, and Willow Creek will have better air quality during the early morning with moderate AQI. Strong south to southwest winds will clear smoke out of the area starting around 11:00 AM, a little bit earlier than usual. This will transport smoke north and Happy Camp may border on the moderate range by mid-day. By 2:00 PM Etna and Ft. Jones will see elevated smoke levels that could reach unhealthy for sensitive groups, possibly becoming unhealthy for an hour or two. By 8:00 PM light haze will cover the region, with AQI values hovering between good and moderate levels.
Long-range outlook
Over the next couple of the days south to south-west transport winds will help to keep the air quality in the moderate range. Towards the end of the week, the winds will weaken and switch to the north to northeast Saturday and into Sunday. Atmospheric dispersion will also decrease, reducing smoke transport and increasing the chance for poor air quality.
IDAHO
Incident: Pony Complex Wildfire
Released: 44 min. ago
Pony Complex Fire PM Update August 13, 2013
Contact: 1-866-347-0636
Start: 8/8/2013
Location: 12 miles Northeast of Mountain Home, ID
Cause: Lightning
Size: 143, 900
Fuels: Grasses, sagebrush and pockets of timber
Observed Fire Behavior: Extreme running fire spread
Assigned Resources: 342 personnel
Containment: 40%
Evacuations: Residents in the Mayfield area have been allowed back into their homes. The road closures listed below still remain in effect for the general public.
Closures: Blacks Creek Rd., Indian Creek Rd., Anderson Ranch Dam south on the Dixie Creek Cutoff to Hwy 20, Prairie Road/Cow Cr. Rd north from Hwy 20, Mayfield Rd and surrounding access roads.
Fire Situation: There was no reported change in acreage today due to smoke and thunderstorms in the area making aerial mapping unattainable. Fire behavior today remained active, running through grass and sage while backing across timbered areas. Some single tree torching and short range spotting was observed.
The fire is slowly progressing north, towards Blacks Creek. Crews, along with air support, are pre-treating along Blacks Creek Road in preparation for the arrival of the fire as it backs down the canyon. These efforts are to hold the fire at Blacks Creek Road. Firefighters will continue to construct and improve fire lines on the northwest portion, from Blacks Creek north towards the South Fork of the Boise River, engaging directly where possible. Crews worked to improve and secure lines on the southeast and southwest flanks.
Fire suppression repair activities have begun on the west flank. Suppression repair is a process of restoring fire lines by placing debris, limbs, installing water bars, and displaced soil onto hand lines.
OREGON
Incident: Big Windy Complex Wildfire
Released: 1715 hours PDT
Firefighters on Big Windy Complex are using both aerial and hand ignition to burn-out along the southeast perimeter. Burnout is one of the tools used for strengthening firelines. It involves burning unburned vegetation between the fire’s edge and the fireline.
On the northwest perimeter of the fire, line construction is complete and firefighters are putting in hose-lays, or “plumbing” the firelines.
Content & Photography – Courtesy of inciweb.org
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