FIRE REPORT: Acreage estimates down on Cowlitz Complex fires
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 1 month AGO
A helicopter drops water on the Airplane Lake fire, burning in the Cascades 53 miles northwest of Wenatchee.
COURTESY PHOTO/U.S. FOREST SERVICE
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | September 11, 2023 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — Of the 30 fires that make up the Cowlitz Complex in Gifford Pinchot National Forest between Mount Rainier and the Columbia River, half are now out, according to the U.S. Forest Service, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The complex showed 12% containment Saturday and improved mapping has allowed authorities to decrease the acreage to about 660 acres. The U.S. Forest Service reported that 439 personnel were fighting the fire. Estimated costs had risen to a bit less than $7.2 million.
These fires were also burning or were recently extinguished Saturday, according to data from the NIFC:
Blue Lake: This blaze about 53 miles west of Omak was 70% contained Saturday at 1,074 acres. Costs were estimated at $5 million. It was discovered July 29.
Salmo Basin: This fire, on the Canadian border 55 miles north of Newport, stood at 75 acres Saturday. The blaze was discovered July 30. Containment information was not available. Costs are estimated at $500,000.
Cummings Creek: This blaze was discovered in the early afternoon Saturday and containment was not reported as of Saturday. The naturally-caused fire has burned about 150 acres as of Saturday in the southeastern corner of Washington.
Yellepit: This fire, discovered Sept. 1 about 14 miles southeast of Kennewick on the Columbia River, has burned a little less than 1,600 acres. It was 100% contained Saturday and costs were estimated at $100,000. That information remained unchanged as of Saturday.
Oregon Road: This fire discovered Aug. 18 about 31 miles north of Spokane was 94% contained at just more than 10,800 acres Saturday. Costs are estimated at $13.5 million.
Tieton Grade: Discovered Aug. 18 about 12 miles northwest of Yakima, this fire burned 20 acres and was human-caused. Containment and cost information was not available Saturday.
Sourdough: Burning in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in the north Cascades since July 29, it was still 30% contained Saturday and had reached 6,234 acres. Costs are estimated at $24 million.
Lake Whatcom: Discovered Aug. 28 about 9 miles southeast of Bellingham, this fire was 90% contained at 40 acres Saturday. Costs were estimated at $700,000.
Kindy Creek: Discovered Aug. 18 in the mountains above Lake Chelan about 75 miles northwest of Wenatchee, this blaze was still at 197 acres Saturday. It was uncontained and costs were estimated at $90,000.
Eagle Point: Discovered Aug. 29 about 12 miles south of Port Angeles, this fire held steady at 105 acres Saturday and costs were estimated at $100,000. Containment was reported at 0%, but that information may not have been updated in the NIFC database.
Diamond Mountain: This fire about 25 miles south of Port Angeles, was discovered Sept. 1 and was uncontained at 20 acres Saturday. The cause was determined to be natural.
Chocolate Creek: This blaze about 58 miles northwest of Wenatchee was uncontained Saturday at 15 acres. Costs were estimated at $90,000.
Dome Peak: This fire, located northeast of the Mt. Baker National Forest, was still uncontained as of Saturday and was holding steady at 1,076 acres. The fire was reported July 29. Costs were estimated at $100,000.
Airplane Lake: This blaze about 53 miles northwest of Wenatchee burned 5,160 acres Saturday and costs are estimated at $500,000. It is reported as uncontained and no cause has been identified. It was discovered July 7.
Gray: discovered Aug. 18 about 17 miles west of Spokane, it was 98% contained at just less than 10,100 acres Saturday. The fire was determined to be caused by human activity and costs were estimated at $10.1 million.
Eagle Bluff: This blaze, southwest of Oroville near the Canadian border, has burned 16,428 acres. The fire has cost about $9.9 million and was 90% contained Saturday. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Huckleberry Flats: This fire was discovered Aug. 19 about 41 miles east of Everett and was 100% contained at 134 acres Saturday. It was human-caused and costs were estimated at $1 million.
Winona: The fire, discovered Aug. 18, had burned 2,525 acres about 35 miles northwest of Pullman and was 90% contained Saturday. Costs were estimated at $300,000.
Toothaker: 300 acres burned about 8 miles southeast of Kennewick. The fire was discovered Aug. 17. It was 100% contained Saturday with costs estimated at $350,000.
Consalus Incident: Around 475 acres burned near the Idaho border due east of the Little Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. The fire has cost about $12 million and was 100% contained as of Saturday. Authorities report that the cause of the fire is natural.
Several other fires are reported throughout the state but have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority of such fires are less than 1 acre in size.
Joel Martin may be reached by email at [email protected].
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