Grizzly Bear Fire-Wenaha

[JLS]

I hope there are some management changes in some of these areas to better protect and utilize these resources.

Something has to change.  Our State's worst, most damaging fires have been over the last 10 +/- years.  This can't be a coincidence when looking at the changes they have implemented in this time frame.

What specifically would you like to see changed.  What changes by "they" are you referring to?

[Timberstalker]

I hope there are some management changes in some of these areas to better protect and utilize these resources.

Something has to change.  Our State's worst, most damaging fires have been over the last 10 +/- years.  This can't be a coincidence when looking at the changes they have implemented in this time frame.

What specifically would you like to see changed.  What changes by "they" are you referring to?

"They" would be the Forest Service.  I've read and reviewed their current Planning and Resource management and strongly question their reductions of certain practices.  With all respect to this thread, I will leave it at that.

[Landowner]

Watched 2 choppers today working N/NW sections of fire.  Hard to see much of what is going on from a distance along with the smoke. 

[JJB11B]

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=47.000000,-118.000000&z=7&t=h%2cMODIS_thermal%2cWind_in_6_hrs%2cCurrent_fire&q=http://www.propertylinemaps.com/p/public_land_map/USA/USA_wildland_fire.txt

This gives a decent picture of all the different fires. just scroll around the map to whatever fire you want just like google earth....

[n_mathews13]

I heard up to 10% now

[SkookumHntr]

Looking at the fire map it looks like it's moving in on Godman now

[B.G.hunter]

Looking at the fire map it looks like it's moving in on Godman now

Yeah, not a lot they can do until it gets close to the top.  I think they are going to use the roads a fire line. I just hope the conditions are right so they can stop it there. 

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Evening Update, 8 p.m.

Wednesday August 26, 2015

Grizzly Bear Complex Fire becomes active
with warm temperatures, ultra-dry fuels, clearer air

Elgin, Ore. – Light winds from the northeast pushed some of the smoke away from the 67,930-acre Grizzly Bear Complex Fire today, providing solar radiation on the fire, increasing consumption and reduction of fuels throughout the interior, and activating fire behavior along portions of the fire perimeter. Two areas of primary concern tonight include fire activity along the south and northeast perimeters.

Firefighters are concentrating efforts to catch an aggressive push by the fire to the south on a flat north of the Elbow Creek. The fire has spotted about a quarter-mile south of the 62 Road and firefighters are currently adjusting tactics to prevent further spread of the fire. This area of the Complex is considered a critical juncture.

Fire activity also increased this afternoon at the Bear Ridge Fire, a 500-acre fire burning east of Oregon Butte and 2 miles north of the main Complex. Three helicopters have been active there, and keeping up with the increased fire behavior all day today.

The weather continues to be dry and warm with weak wind out of the northeast. The winds have cleared out smoke, allowing pre-heating of fuels throughout the Complex. On Saturday temperatures are expected to cool down and humidity to rise with an incoming cold front.

The cold front, initially predicted to bring lightning into the area, will weaken in eastern Oregon and Washington. No lightning is expected tonight or through the weekend. Only a few tenths of inches of rain is expected to fall here but more is predicted for central Washington, bringing wetting rains on the many fires burning there.

A public meeting will be held in Dayton, Wash., at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) night, August 27, 2015, at the Seneca Activity Center. A briefing about the Grizzly Bear Complex Fire will be presented by Brian Gales, incident commander, operations personnel, administrators from the Umatilla National Forest, and emergency managers from Columbia County

[Joseph]

Thanks to JJB11B for posting the map link.  I'm the guy that produced the map.

That version of the map claims you can turn on overlay layers with wind data.  Those layers no longer work since heavy use of the map kept crashing NOAA's servers that deliver the wind forecasts.

Below is a link to version 3 of the map which includes layers showing:
    Fire weather forecast
    Mileposts - Washington State
    Utilities (transmission lines) - Washington State

You can click the 'top' layer and see a popup with all the data the GIS server has for the thing you clicked.

To see the map legend, learn how to turn layers on off and get other tips for using the map, please click "About this map" in the upper left corner.

Fire map version 3:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=47.000000,-118.000000&z=7&t=m,MODIS_from_GeoMAC,Fire_perimeter&q=http://www.propertylinemaps.com/p/public_land_map/USA/USA_wildland_fire_3.txt

Joseph
Redmond, WA

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Updated perimeter map from this morning

[B.G.hunter]

Grizzly Bear Complex Fire
37 mins ·
Evening Update, 8 p.m.
Saturday August 29, 2015
Firefighter disengagement from the Grizzly Bear
Complex Fire goes as planned, no major fire growth
Elgin, Ore. – In anticipation of high winds today, firefighters disengaged from the fire in all branches to wait out any potential increase in fire activity or dangerous, falling snags. Once the wind died down, crews re-engaged, finding for the most part the containment lines had held. The fire burned to the ridge at Godman. Crews will return tomorrow to evaluate structures in the Turkey Trail and Godman areas.
A crew scouted the 733-acre Bear Ridge Fire and reported no significant growth.
Similarly, other branches reported minor fire activity and no huge push by the fire. Firefighters reengaged after the wind event to continue mopping up around homes in the Grouse Flat area. Fire lines held for the most part along the east perimeter and the fire continued backing to the prepared 4039 Road fire line. Crews continued to mop up fire lines along the road this afternoon.
Firefighters along the southern perimeter disengaged until late afternoon and returned to check on the large spot fire that had burned over containment lines on Wednesday. Containment line around the spot held.
The new Tucannon Fire started near the Tucannon River south of Dayton during high winds today, growing quickly through grass and trees to more than 500 acres, and threatening homes, crops, and radio and utility infrastructure. Evacuation Level 3 orders are in place for threatened residences. The State Fire Marshall’s office is sending structural protection resources to the new fire. A 20-person crew and dozer were dispatched from the Grizzly Bear Complex to the fire which is being managed by the State of Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Winds throughout the Complex were variable, reaching 50-60 miles per hour along the northern, highest elevations and calm near Big Hole at 4-5 miles per hour. The wind did not improve smoky conditions at lower elevation valleys and area surrounding Troy, Ore. There were no requests from fire lines for helicopter support today.
Fire weather this week will be “benign” as wetting rain and cooler, humid conditions will prevail. Because the fire lines in the Complex held the fire, evacuation levels will change at 8 a.m. on Sunday, August 30 to include a reduction of Asotin to 0, the area east of Highway 129 in Washington to 1 and the area west of Highway 3 to the Grand Ronde River in Oregon to 1. Additional changes in evacuation levels will be discussed tomorrow.

[MtnMuley]

Massive downpours that I saw all around the Wenaha this afternoon. By the looks of it 10 miles away from me, they were getting dumped on just as hard.

[n_mathews13]

Rained good in blues today

[ELKBURGER]

Rained good in blues today

Good news. I hope it helps the firemen to some degree.

[n_mathews13]

Anyone got an update on bear fire. ?