Okanogan
Complex Fire Update
Rocky Mountain Incident
Management Team - Todd Pechota, Incident Commander
Information Center: 509-850-0083
Hours of operation: 7 am – 9
pm
Email: okanogancomplexfire@gmail.com
August 28, 2015
9:00 pm
Current Situation:
Blustery winds have cleared
out much of the heavy smoke that’s blanketed the Okanogan Complex for the past
week. Those winds posed a challenge for
firefighters working to hold the line on the southeast corner of the Tunk Block
Fire, along Highway 155 near Disautel. But with clearer skies, firefighters
were able to make ample use of helicopters and water-scooping aircraft on that
area.
Despite the flare-up on the
southeast corner of the fire, crews made good progress in building containment
line. As a result, the fire saw little
growth in acreage and the fire is now 23 percent contained. Work continued
today in several priority areas, including the northeastern corner of the Tunk
Block Fire, where crews worked to connect a series of fuels breaks. Crews continued work to secure a line in the
Sinlahekin Valley on the northwest corner of the Lime Belt Fire. Efforts there
have focused on structure protection south of the community of Loomis. Crews
also continued to build line on the southwestern corner of the Lime Belt
Fire. The Twisp and Nine Mile Fires are
largely contained and are in mop up and monitoring status.
Firefighters
are bracing for a cold front forecast to move through the complex Saturday
morning. That front is expected to bring
strong, shifting winds. A Red Flag Warning will be in effect for winds gusting
to 45 mph. The National Weather Service
has also put out a dust warning as a result of those strong winds. The
combination of wind and dust is likely to cause reduced visibility.
Thunderstorms are also possible tomorrow.
The
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team is wrapping up its time on the Okanogan
Complex. The California Incident Management Team 5 will assume management of
the fire on Saturday.
Evacuations and Closures: The public is encouraged to
contact the Okanogan Emergency Operations Center to learn how to register for
automated phone messages in the event of evacuation notices being issued for
particular neighborhoods. Contact emergency staff at 509-422-7348 or the Colville
Tribal Emergency Management Center at 507-634-2105.
Media Briefings: Media briefings are held at 11 am daily at Okanogan
County Fairgrounds.
Okanogan Complex Fire
Statistics:
Location: Eleven miles northwest of Omak,
WA Start Date: August 14, 2015
Complex Size: 302,225 acres Complex Percent Contained: 23%
Twisp
River: 11,831 acres, 85% containment
Tunk Block: 158,892 acres, 10%
Lime Belt/Blue Lake and Beaver Lake: 126,782 acres, 15%
Nine Mile: 4,720 acres, 95%, in patrol status.
Total Personnel: 1,918
Information Sources:
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