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Kettle Complex Update for August 22
Incident: Kettle Complex Wildfire
Released: 50 min. ago
Incident Summary: The Kettle Complex includes four fires in northern Ferry County Washington.
Current Situation: Significant fire activity continued across the region yesterday and fire officials are working together to prioritize incident personnel and manage numerous incidents. An Area Command Team is in place to provide additional leadership and support to Kettle Complex, North Star fire, Stevens County Complex, and Kaniksu Complex. Support teams from the Washington National Guard will assist fire managers to ensure safety of the public and firefighters on the Kettle Complex. There have been no injuries.
Stickpin Fire – Stickpin Fire is at 44,858 acres and is burning on the Kettle Crest between Curlew and Orient. The fire is now 15% contained. Yesterday the fire actively progressed downslope on the eastern edge of the fire. Firelines constructed along the western edge were tested with the erratic winds but are holding. The fire was also active on the southwestern perimeter; dozer lines are being constructed but are indirect (meaning there is unburned fuel between the line and the fire edge). Three helicopters are supporting firefighting efforts. Public and firefighter safety is a significant concern, and incident management personnel are looking at all options for suppression. Fire crews from across the state are in place to assist Ferry County Fire 14 and Ferry County District 3/Stevens 8 with structure protection under the State Mobilization Act. These resources are dedicated to structure protection and free up additional firefighters for wildland fireline construction.
Canadian overhead resources are assisting today with scouting the northern portion of the fire; Canadian crews arrive tomorrow to work in partnership with existing resources fire suppression efforts on the northern perimeter. The fire has burned into the Togo Fire (2003) burn area and crews are working to construct line to keep the fire from progressing towards Grand Forks and Christina Lake British Columbia.
Roy Road Fire – The Roy Road Fire is burning west of Republic and is approximately 120 acres and is 25% contained. Firefighters continue to mop up and extinguish pockets of interior heat.
Graves Mountain Fire – The Graves Mountain Fire is burning along Highway 20 in the Sherman Pass area and the smoke column will continue to be visible. The fire is 5,345 acres and is 10% contained. The fire is active on the western, eastern, and northern portions of the fire. The southern perimeter near the BPA powerlines is the highest priority and crews continue to strengthen and build line. The line that was constructed on the west flank of the fire has jumped over the dozer line. Fire fighters continue to scout out areas and build indirect fireline on both the west and the east flanks. The fire is burning in thick lodgepole pine in steep, rocky terrain. The cause is under investigation.
Renner Lake Fire – The Renner Lake Fire is approximately 4,550 acres and is 0% contained. The fire grew significantly yesterday to the south and east. Firefighters were shifted off of other areas to assist local fire district personnel. Heavy Air Tankers from Moses Lake dropped three loads of fire retardant along Matsen Rd. to help in slowing the spread of the fire. There are additional closures on Matsen and Deadman Creek (see Evacuations below). Fire personnel are working this fire 24 hours a day. Two structures were destroyed last night and Ferry County officials are working to confirm if they were primary or outbuildings.
Regional Information Office: DNR and the USFS have established a fire information call center for fires in Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties. Trained staff will answer public questions and/or forward callers to the correct Incident Management Team or County Emergency Operations Center that they need to reach. The phone numbers are; 509-684-7260, 509-684-7261 and 509-684-7263. These phones will be staffed daily from 7am to 9pm
Evacuation Information: This information is as of 11 AM. If conditions change, it will be updated on the Ferry County Sheriff’s Facebook page.
LEVEL I- All of Ferry County is under a Level I notice, except for Level II and Level III areas as described below. Please remember that a LEVEL 1 evacuation notice is a notification that you may be asked to evacuate. Residence are encouraged to make plans if conditions change.
LEVEL II- The level II evacuation is from MM 247 to MM 253 on Highway 395 EAST in the Barstow area. Nancy Creek Rd, Hurl Burt, Boulder Creek-Deer Creek – HWY 21 past mile marker 1, Long Alec – HWY 21 past mile marker 1, Danville Area – HWY 21 all roads off the main HWY past mile marker 1,Lone Ranch – HWY 21 past mile marker 1, Riveredge Rd, Roosevelt Rd
LEVEL III –The level 3 evacuation is from MM 247 to MM 253 on Highway 395 WEST, which is includes the Matsen Creek Community including Matsen Creek Road, Jackknife Road and Deadman Creek Road, Anderson Road, Harter Rd, Pool Rd., Carson Rd, BJ’s Road, Murphy Rd, and the Columbia Cedar Mill.
Volunteers: Incredible wildfire volunteer response, but please… only those with firefighting experience. Two triage centers in Northeast Washington handle all the citizen volunteer requests to help with this year’s wildfire fighting efforts. In less than a day, an unprecedented outpouring of volunteers has inundated both centers, far outpacing the few available staff to process and deploy qualified volunteers. DNR reiterated that they are seeking those with firefighting expertise only – particularly those who currently hold, or have previously held, red or blue card certifications. Those with these particular skill sets may submit their details online at www.dnr.wa.gov/WildfireVolunteer.
Closures: Highway 395 is closed from Kamloops Junction, milepost 245, to Orient. Deer-Boulder County Road 602 is closed; Highway 20 is recommended as an alternate. Colville National Forest is closed from the Canadian Border to Deadman Creek. All trails, roads, and access are temporarily closed due to extreme fire activity. No campfires, charcoal or chainsaw use are allowed. There are additional road closures in the area due to other incidents – visit www.wsdot.wa.gov for details.
Cooperating Agencies: Department of Natural Resources Northeast Region, USDA Forest Service Colville National Forest, Ferry County Fire Districts 13 and 14, Joint Fire Protection District Ferry 3 and Stevens 8, Ferry County Sheriff, Ferry County, City of Republic, Washington State Patrol, Washington State Fire Marshal, US Border Patrol, Washington National Guard
KETTLE COMPLEX FIRE STATUS
Acres Burned: approx. 54,873 acres
Structures Destroyed: 2
Closures: see below
Evacuations: summary below
Containment: Stickpin- 15%; Roy Rd-35%, Renner Lake- 0%, Graves Mountain-10%
RESOURCES
Crews: 10
Engines: 30
Dozers: 14
Water Tenders: 25
Helicopters: 3 assigned
Total personnel: Approx. 800
Injuries: 0″