POST SUMMARY | Three large wildfires are burning near the town of Cliffdell, Washington State.  All three wildfires are being managed by the same IC.  The American Fire started first with the other two following in close pursuit.

Here is our recap for Saturday, August 26, 2017.

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AMERICAN FIRE:  11 miles West of Cliffdell.  Start 8/10/2017.  Okanogan – Wenatchee National Forest.  Lightning caused. #AmericanFire

Image across a riverbed at a distant, forested hill. Smoke is rising from many places within and at the edges of the American Fire. A helicopter carries a bucket of water.
Smoke rises between American River and Kettle Creek. The American River is in the unseen foreground where a helicopter scoops water from & drops on to the fire. (Photo Credit: NW IMT #13)

8/26/2017:   Active fire behavior with flanking, backing and group torching.  206 acres. 0% containment. Fire grew 6 acres to the North towards the Highway 410 corridor. The fire’s edge was a half-of-a-mile from the American River.  It slowly backed downhill approximately 1,000 feet in the last 7 days. 18 crews. 0 crews, 4 engines, 2 helos. 110 structures threatened.  $209,000 CTD.

8/25/2017:    Active fire behavior with backing and group torching.193 acres.  0% contained. 110 homes still threatened.  16 personnel. 4 engines. Evacuations in effect.  Estimated containment is 10/1/2017. $165,000 CTD.

8/25/2017:  Active fire behavior with backing and group torching. Homes threatened. Evacuations are in effect.

8/24/2017:   174 aces. 0% contained. Active fire behavior with backing and group torching. 16 personnel. 4 engines. 110 structures threatened. $142,000 CTD.

8/23/2017:  131 acres. 0% contained. 110 homes threatened. 16 personnel. 4 engines. Estimated containment 10/1/2017. $100,000 CTD.

8/22/2017:  Active fire behavior with backing, flanking and group torching. Homes threatened. 129 acres. 8% contained. 16 personnel. 4 engines. $75,000 CTD.

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NORSE PEAK FIRE: 11 miles West of Cliffdell.  Start 8/11/2017.  Burning inside the Norse Peak Wilderness in the Naches Ranger District. (includes 4 fires) Lightning caused. Timber.  USDA Forest Service.  #NorsePeakFire

One of the many resources assisting along Hwy 410
A feller buncher is one of many heavy equipment on-scene assisting fire crews.

8/26/2017:  Type 2 IMT. Active fire with backing, flanking and group torching.  2,217 acres. 5% contained. 110 homes threatened. SR 410 remains closed from Chinook Pass (mile post 69) to Hell’s Crossing (mile post 84). At 2000 hours, the highway will reopen only for night time travel. It will shutdown again at 0600 hours each morning.  Pleasant Valley Campground, Lodgepole campground and Salmon Cove Group sites are all closed to the public.  368 personnel. 1 Type 1 crew, 8 Type 2 crews, 18 engines, 4 felling teams, 2 dozers, 2 water tenders, 2 helicopters and additional heavy equipment are assigned to this incident. $2.2 Million CTD.

One of the many resources assisting in efforts along Hwy 410
Check out this much needed piece of equipment when removing large felled trees. This is called a Skidder.

8/25/2017: (5) fires. Type 2 IMT.  Active fire behavior with isolated torching, backing and creeping. 2,092 acres. 96% contained. Structures are being threatened. 344 personnel. 8 crews, 14 engines, 3 helos. 8 smokejumpers arrived on-scene, began fire suppression and to secure the small fires North of the American Ridge.$1.7 Million CTD.

Norse Peak Fire expansion Wed, August 16
Norse Peak fire on 8/16/2017.

8/24/2017:  1,996 acres. 8% contained. Active fire behavior with backing, flanking and group torching. 339 personnel. 8 crews, 14 engines, 1 helo. $1.5 Million CTD.

8/23/2017:  Active fire behavior with running and torching. 1,643 acres. 8% contained.  110 homes threatened. 279 personnel. 6 crews. 1 helo. 14 engines. Hwy 410 closed. LEVEL 3 evacuations in effect for Union Creek, Pleasant Valley.  LEVEL 1 evacuations for Goose Prairie and Bumping Lake. 9 fires including American and Union Creek Trail as the largest. $1.2 Million CTD.

Feller Buncher removing Hazard Trees in the Closure of 410
Highway 410 is a ghost town, smokey and with large heavy equipment making new paths all over the landscape.

8/22/2017:  Type 2 IMT, NW Team 13. Active fire behavior with group torching, backing and flanking. Homes threatened. 1,566 acres. 6% contained. 274 personnel. 6 crews, 12 engines and 1 helo. $936,000 CTD.

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UNION CREEK:  11 miles West of Cliffdell.  Start 8/23/2017. Okanogan – Wenatchee NF. Timber. #UnionCreekFire

Sprinkler System
Pump supply for sprinkler system at Union Creek Tract.

8/26/2017:  Active fire behavior with group torching.  169 acres. 0% contained. Active fire behavior with group torching, backing and flanking. Homes are under threatened. Evacuations are in effect. 110 homes are threatened. 6 personnel. 2 helicopters.

Extending a Handline for helping with the burnout
Extending a handline for assistance with burnout operations.

8/25/2017:  Active fire behavior with group torching, backing and flanking.  156 acres.  0% contained. Homes threatened. Evacuations in effect. 4 personnel. 0 resources. $130,000 CTD.

Fire Crews working in conjuction with each other during burnout operations. These crews are keeping an eye on the unburned fuels and in ready mode.
Fire crews are working together monitoring unburned fuels during a burnout operation.

8/24/2017:  Newly reported from overnight.  132 acres. 0% contained. Active fire behavior with group torching, backing and flanking. 4 personnel. $117,000 CTD.

One of the many resoureces assisting along Hwy 410
This is what a Strike Team of Engines looks like.

Fire Images | All images are courtesy of Inciweb, unless where other credit is given. We do not lay claim to any of these images. – Ed.

(c) 2017 The NW Fire Blog – Updated 8/26/2017 @ 1445 hours PDT.