Firefighters make great strides, yet restrictions, closures remain

Three area wildfires this week reached important milestones, though firefighters aren’t out of the woods yet.

Early in the week, the Peoples Creek fire was reported 100 percent contained, while on Tuesday and Wednesday the final daily public information updates were issued and Type 3 fire management teams took command of the Tamarack and Gibralter Ridge fires, respectively — actions signifying firefighters have made great strides in battling the wildfires.

The Gibralter Ridge fire was reported at 3,624 acres in size and 52 percent containment Tuesday, while the following day the Tamarack fire was reported to be 400 acres in size and 70 percent contained.

Despite progress, closures and other restrictions and warnings remain in effect.

In the area of the Gibralter Ridge fire, Grave Creek Road and Ten Lakes recreation area are still closed starting at the junction of Grave Creek and Foothills Roads. An evacuation warning is in effect for the areas of Sherman Creek, Griffith Creek, Therriault Pass Road and Stevens Creek, while a pre-evacuation warning is in effect for the Glen Lake and Sinclair Creek area south and east of West Road.

In the area of the Tamarack fire, portions of a number of Forest Service roads — including Tamarack Deer Creek Road No. 2346, Tensaw Creek B Road No. 2349B and Marl Creek Road No. 2333 — have been closed to the public since Aug. 18 to allow firefighters “to efficiently complete their work,” and Weyerhaeuser Company roads 99307, 99281 and 99272 are closed.

In addition, Lincoln County remains in Stage II Fire Restrictions.

“The area remains very dry,” notes the Aug. 22 news release concerning the Gibralter Ridge fire. “(And) the area remains in a drying trend.”

According to a weather forecast in the Aug. 23 news release on the Tamarack fire, “the fire behavior analyst believes this (incoming low pressure) weather system should not cause fire growth because the southwest corner of the fire is holding most of the heat and the prevailing winds will push the fire into itself.”

Officials send “residents should expect to see smoke from the (Gibralter Ridge) fire area for many weeks.”

“The (Tamarack) fire perimeter is fully lined with a fuel break, hose-lays and sprinklers, and the majority of mop up is nearing completion,” that fire’s Wednesday news release states. “There is still work needed on the south and southwest flank; firefighters will focus efforts today on extinguishing hot spots and shoring up the line to at least 1 chain (66 feet) in from the fire’s perimeter. Work will continue on the remainder of the fireline, scouting for heat, and maintaining the sprinkler systems so that it will be difficult for fire to establish outside the lines.”

Meanwhile, at the 100 percent contained Peoples Creek fire, an engine crew on Wednesday continued to patrol the area “to assure the line is holding. Heat in stump holes and duff persists but is well within the fire’s interior.”

According to Tuesday’s report from the Gibralter Ridge fire, firefighters the previous day finished a series of intentional burns set by hand and helicopter that “brought the fire downhill and to the (18 miles of) shaded fuels break along Foothills and Grave Creek Roads.”

Mop-up work — “where firefighters seek out and suppress any residual heat sources” — was reported as contributing to the 52 percent containment. In addition, logging equipment used to construct shaded fuel breaks and remove logs were “moved off the fire line.”

All three wildfires were caused by lightning strikes, the Gibralter Ridge fire the evening of Aug. 7 and the Tamarack and Peoples Creek fires on Aug. 12.