This story was originally published by Underscore Native News.
Brian Bull
Underscore Native News
Note: This story is based on the latest available information as of 9:55a.m. PST, Aug. 13. Please refer to your local government, fire agency websites and social media for the most timely information regarding evacuations and road closures. For information on where to donate, check with the tribes being impacted by fires on their websites and Facebook pages.
Officials with a firefighting division say the Hagen Fire has expanded to more than 54,000 acres on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). 966 personnel are on scene.
Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 6 shared those details with tribal officials, adding that the Hagen Fire is 11 percent contained and managed to climb steep drainages below Coyote Ridge. Crews were looking for opportunities to build indirect fire lines near the fire, further from houses and other structures. Other methods to protect buildings included controlled burns to consume fuels, as well as sprinkling the area with water.
The key message shared on Thursday morning regards weather patterns.
“The weather will shift Thursday and we expect to see a chance of thunderstorms in the late afternoon or evening,” said an Inciweb update from 9:55 a.m. “If the storms develop, they are expected to bring erratic winds with gusts up to 40 mph and a chance of lightning. This could cause unpredictable fire spread due to the unpredictable winds.”
An update shared on Inciweb said night crews continued mop-up operations and were looking for spot fires, isolated fires created by floating embers or sparks. A hot shot crew did overnight burning operations near the headwaters of Spring Creek to deplete fuels. “They will work with other crews on Thursday to mop up that operation and conduct other firing operations to remove unburned fuel between the fire and the indirect lines,” said the update.
The neighboring Paradise Fire has burned almost 4,400 acres with 316 personnel engaged with it. The fire remains 0 percent contained.
On Wednesday, fire crews saw active fire along Broken Ridge on the Paradise Fire’s southwest edge. There was a sizable plume of smoke seen from the fire, especially in the Walla Walla area. Thursday’s Inciweb summary reported that defensive firing was successful along FS Road 64 to create a buffer between Broken Ridge and the adjacent wilderness area. An aerial drone was used along Mill Creek to find any lingering hot spots for firefighters to dig up and water down.
For weather, the latest update says a “monsoonal moisture pattern” is expected to begin Thursday with increased cloud cover and a chance of thunderstorms beginning in the afternoon and lasting into the evening.
“Relative humidity is expected to be higher 30-40 percent with northwest winds and a 10 percent chance of thunderstorms today,” it reads. “The chance of spot fires should decrease but intense runs are still possible, especially in grassy areas.”
For communities near the Paradise Fire, the latest air quality index levels show “moderate” for Walla Walla, Washington, “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in Waitsburg and Milton Freeman, and “unhealthy” in Dayton.
People are encouraged to check with the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Facebook page for the latest evacuation notices.
The post Hagen Fire Grows, Paradise Fire Remains Uncontained on Umatilla Reservation appeared first on ICT.
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