Local News

Devil’s Elbow Fire holds against wind storm

Aug 13, 2014

Sixty mile-per-hour winds tested the containment lines firefighters have been building and expanding for a week around the 20,748-acre Devil’s Elbow Fire Complex. Most of the lines held the fire and just a few spot fires escaped lines along the eastern perimeter, requiring immediate suppression actions by ground crews.

Spotting near the Cody Butte Ridge is expected to continue today and firefighters there and south of Twenty-five Mile Creek will be lining and mopping up spots, and firing unburned fuels directly along new containment lines.

A Red Flag Alert for abundant lightning is in effect today until 2 a.m. Thursday.

Remarkably, the fire did not grow much larger, and in fact, the areas along the perimeter planned for burnouts last night burned without firefighters having to fire them out. Firefighters will be evaluating opportunities to build direct control line reducing acres burned.

At about 7:45 last night, an ominous, brown squawl line hit Nespelem, Wash., blasting the Devil’s Elbow Fire Incident Command Post with strong winds that sent firefighters seeking shelter in the Nespelem Community Center or chasing after tents through fields surrounding the Colville Tribe’s Pow Wow Grounds.

The wind storm was followed up by sparse, intermittent rain. Even though the rain was not enough to extinguish the fire, it did raise humidity levels throughout the Complex, making the planned burnouts difficult to conduct. Rain and lower temperatures are making direct suppression of the fire and spot fires easier today, especially along the north and east perimeters.

Yesterday, firefighters scouted for a location to construct a containment line that would cut through unburned forest from Bridge Creek to the San Poil Road, just northwest of the junction of Highway 21 and Bridge Creek. Dozers and hand crews completed that segment of containment line yesterday. The Highway will be opened by Saturday and traffic through the Fire area will be led by a pilot car until the Complex is controlled and the travel route deemed safe.

Plans are being developed to allow evacuees to return to their homes by Saturday. The returns of residents will be an orderly and managed process, beginning with homeowners at the southernmost points of the Level 3 evacuation zone and progressing north to the Bear Creek Campground. Before residents can return, all hazard trees along Highway 21 will be removed and each home site evaluated for safety by a Burned Area Emergency Recovery Team from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Nation (CCT).

According to Ike Cawston, fire manager for the CCT, there is still a lot of work to be done. Local firefighting forces from Mt. Tolman Fire Center responded to several new fire starts last night and all firefighting initial attack resources will be suppressing these new fires today and tomorrow.

Evacuation and closure notices remain unchanged today. The public is advised that any of the evacuation levels and road closures can change with short notice. As these changes occur, they will be posted on Inciweb at www.inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4059. The current list follows:

Level 3 along Hwy 21 from Capoose Creek/Meadow to the Bear Creek Campground. This indicates an immediate threat and people should leave the area immediately.

Level 2 evacuations exist for the Bridge Creek Road from Hwy 21 east to the Keno Mine Campground; on Hwy 21 from Capoose Creek south to Cache Creek Road; and on Hwy 21 from the Bear Creek Campground north to Anderson Creek. Residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Level 1 on Hwy 21 from Anderson Creek north to the Twenty-one Mile Road junction. Residents should be alert that there is fire activity in the general area.

On the east side of Hwy 21, the AREA contained by Bridge Creek Road to the south; Upper Bridge Creek Road, Red Thunder Cutoff, and the Thirty Mile Road to the east; and the Twenty-five Mile Road to the north are closed.

On the west side of Hwy 21, the AREA contained by Cache Creek Road, the Central Peak Road, and the South Nanamkin Road is closed. Roads surrounding these areas are not closed, but this area is restricted to firefighters, law enforcement and other authorized personnel. Avoiding this vicinity will help ensure that the firefighters can complete their containment lines and burnout operations safely.

Areas that are currently open include the Cache Creek Road, Bridge Creek Road and Hwy 21 between Cache Creek Road and Bridge Creek Road. Travelers are advised to be aware that the status of these roads may change at any time. People traveling on these roads are advised to drive with extreme caution, slowly and with headlights on, to protect their safety and that of area firefighters. Smoke, heavy equipment and livestock are expected on the roads.