Daily Update: August 25th, 2009
Here’s the daily update… don’t forget you can get fire weather and large fire alerts sent to your cell phone! It’s easy: Register a username at www.twitter.com, go to www.twitter.com/northwestfires, select ‘follow us’, and activate your mobile device for alerts. As ALWAYS, if you have any comments, suggestions, questions or if you would like to write a blog to be posted here send us an email! northwestfires@gmail.com
INITIAL ATTACK
New fires: 10
Oregon: 2 fires for 0 acres
Washington: 8 fires for 9 acres
NEW LARGE FIRES
None
WEATHER SYNOSIS
A weak frontal system has been bringing patchy light rain to Western Washington and northwest Oregon this morning. Once the system crosses the Cascades the impacts will shift to breezy west winds along the east slopes and in the Columbia River Basin this afternoon and evening. The upper level ridge of high pressure over the Great Basin will strengthen and build north across the Pacific Northwest into western Canada Wednesday and Thursday bringing a significant warming and drying trend as well as increasing instability. A small upper level trough moves inland Friday or Friday night for a slight chance of thunderstorms and brief dip in the temperatures before the ridge aloft rebounds for the weekend.
LARGE FIRE POTENTIAL
While fuels are drying gradually, the lack of mass ignition triggers (i.e. not much lightning in the forecast for the next 7 days) will keep the probability of new large fires low. Instability in C1 where there are ongoing fires and the fuel dryness level is in the ‘brown’ will elevate the burning environment into the high risk category on Thursday.
ONGOING INCIDENTS
Washington:
Oden Road Fire (WA-NES-001262)
Fire is located 2 miles N of malott, WA. Primary fuels are timber, grass, and sage. The fire has burned 10,258 acres (+1,811) and is 70% contained. SR 20 has been reopened. Successful burnout operations on 8/24 have secured the NW portion of the fire. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (IC Johnson) is committed.
Dry Creek Complex (WA-MCR-000048)
The fire is contained at 48,902 acres. The fire has transitioned to a Type 3 incident at 0600.
Sable Fire (WA-OWF-782)
This resource benefit fire is located 35 miles NW of Chelan, WA. There have been some smoke impacts to the Stehekin area but the fire remains well within its management area.

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