NORTHWEST FIRES

INITIAL ATTACK
Oregon: 5 fires for 1 acre burned
Washington: 4 fires for 0 acres burned

NEW LARGE FIRES

Washington:

Milepost 281 Fire
5 miles south of Omak; 1,500 acres, 0% contained. Cause of the fire is under investigation. The fire is burning in grass, sage and scattered timber. The fire is on the Colville Agency.  A Type 2 IMT (IC Barnett) has been ordered.

ONGOING INCIDENTS
See fire intel

WEATHER WATCHES and WARNINGS
The National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued a Fire Weather Watch which is in effect from late tonight through Thursday morning for Kittitas, Yakima, Benton and Klickitat Counties.
A fast moving upper level system will track across Washington tonight and Thursday morning and will bring a chance of thunderstorms to the east slopes of the central Washington Cascades and in the northern portion of the Lower Columbia Basin.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop only for a few hours but will produce enough lightning to create significant fire weather concerns in this area. In addition, winds will increase Thursday behind the system that could lead to rapid fire spread.

WEATHER SYNOPSIS
An upper level disturbance will move rapidly through the region tonight and Thursday morning. This will aid in formation of showers in western Washington as well as scattered thunderstorms later today and tonight east of the Cascades. Also, expect increasing westerly winds across eastern OR/WA this evening lasting through the night in some areas. The thermal trough will be prominent in eastern Washington this afternoon before shifting eastward by Thursday. Another Pacific cold front is expected on Saturday that should result in some rain over the weekend.

LARGE FIRE POTENTIAL
Even though fuel dryness is not overly critical the burn environment will be elevated in Northeast and Eastern Washington today due to instability with the thermal trough. This may affect the Mile Post 281 fire with enhanced burning prompting our issuance of a high risk condition for Okanogan/Ferry County area. In addition expect strong west winds to pick up across eastern OR/WA tonight as upper level disturbance moves through.

Lightning will elevate IA activity moderately east of the Cascades today, as well. However, the limited amount of lightning combined with only moderately dry fuels is not expected to cause critical conditions as the large fire probability remains low (generally 5-15%).

This weekend’s wetter weather system is expected to drop all areas fuels into very moist levels.