Full Text
The fire is located on Washington State Department of Natural Resources and private timber company lands in southern Klickitat County. About half of the fire burned through a mixture of young trees, brush and grass. The remainder is larger trees with a brushy understory. State Route 141 reopened yesterday with a pilot car escorting traffic through the fire area. Firefighter and public safety remains the highest priority. Motorists are asked to be alert for firefighters and equipment on or near the highway and to not stop in the fire area. Fire activity on Tuesday continued to decrease for a third consecutive day. Fire crews focused on installing and using water tanks, pumps and hoses to douse remaining hot spots around the perimeter of the burned area. The goal is to establish a buffer of reduced fuels (either completely consumed or extinguished) within the containment lines to reasonably assure the fire will not escape. Fire managers were pleased with the progress being made by both the day and night shifts thus far. Today marks the second day of a warming trend that could send maximum temperatures back into the 90s over the weekend--similar to last Saturday when the fire grew rapidly. Consequently, fire managers are pressing to complete mop up and secure the lines before conditions become more unfavorable. With the influx of crews and equipment, including tens of thousands of feet of fire hose, officials are increasingly confident that they will meet that goal. There is an outdoor burn ban in effect for Klickitat County from July 1 through September 30, 2017. In addition, please use caution with power equipment, welders and all potential sources of ignition. Fire at a Glance Size: 322 acres Containment: 28% Location: Five miles north of Husum, Washington Cause: Under Investigation Personnel: 544 Resources: 24 Crews 21 Engines 2 Dozers 8 Water tenders 3 Skidder Aircraft: 1 Type 1 heavy helicopter 1 Type 2 medium helicopters 1 Type 3 light helicopter Closures and Evacuations: State Route 141 is open with a pilot car from Milepost 14 to Milepost 17. A Level 1 evacuation is in effect for homeowners north of Meyers Road and South of Pine Flats Road. Fire Information: (509) 493-2309 (NEW NUMBER) Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5346/ Northwest Incident Management Team 6 Shawn Sheldon, Incident Commander Dry Creek Fire Update July 12, 2017