Cougar Creek Fire 2024, Clarkston, WA (2026)

08/21/2024

Cougar Creek Fire FINAL Update
August 20, 2024

The Cougar Creek Fire is burning within a mountainous and remote area on the Umatilla National Forest bordering the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.

Wildland firefighting crews continue to engage a steep and rugged section between Mt. Horrible and Saddle Butte area along the 40 road. With the steep and rugged terrain, crews continue to evaluate their surroundings before engagement to maintain a safe pace and appropriate risk evaluation. Crews will continue to patrol the containment lines for missed or rekindled hotspots, extinguishing them when found. Rehabilitation will be ongoing on non-primary lines, transitioning to primary lines when fire spread risk is reduced to very low.

Demobilization of fire crews and camp facilities will be a focus for the incident management team in a continuation to right size the needed resources for the fire. Crews that are demobilized will be assigned to aid nearby wildfires or are returning to their home units.

The Cougar Creek Fire will return to the local districts on Thursday, August 22nd, 2024. The incident will be considered a type 4 fire and wildland firefighting crews (wildland engines and a local 20-person hand crews) will remain on the fire for patrol and rehabilitation efforts. Heavy equipment will remain on site for rehabilitation efforts.

We would like to thank everyone in the community for their ongoing support for our wildland firefighting crews and for helping make this operation successful.

Future Fire Information

Future inquiries for fire information will be transferred to the local districts:

Umatilla National Forest
https://www.facebook.com/UmatillaNF
Phone: 541-278-3716
Email: [email protected]

Pomeroy Ranger District
(509) 843-1891

Department of Natural Resources – Southeast Region
Ryan Rodruck
Phone: 360-706-3121
Email: [email protected]

08/20/2024

Quick Facts for August 20:
• 24,091 acres
• 90% contained
• Personnel 226
• 3 crews, 15 engines, 7 water tenders, 3 heavy equipment
Photo caption: Wildland Fire Engine Crew working on the 43 road.

08/19/2024

Cougar Creek Fire
Update 8/19/2024

The Cougar Creek Fire is burning within a mountainous and remote area on the Umatilla National Forest bordering the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.

Wildland firefighting crews continue to engage a steep and rugged section between Mt. Horrible and Saddle Butte area along the 40 road. With the steep and rugged terrain, crews continue to evaluate their surroundings before engagement to maintain a safe pace and appropriate risk evaluation.

Along the 43 road and between Indian Tom to Willow Spring Saddle, crews continue to patrol the area for missed or rekindled hotspots. Equipment, such as pumps and hoses, continue to be dismantled and brought back to base camp to be restored to cache. Dozer lines, that are not part of the primary containment line, continue to be rehabilitated between Cougar Creek and Grouse Flats in the southern section of the fire.

Demobilization of fire crews and camp facilities will be a focus for the incident management team in the next two days in a continuation right size the needed resources for the fire. Crews that are demobilized will be assigned to aid nearby wildfires or are returning to their home units. The incident management team is anticipating returning command to the local district on Thursday, August 22nd.

Evacuations and Closures: FOREST ROAD CLOSURES HAVE BEEN REDUCED descriptions and maps are available online on the Umatilla National Forest closure website. Please respect area closure orders and use extra caution while driving for your safety as well as our firefighters. All evacuation orders have been lifted.

Weather and Smoke: High 79/Low 51: Dry conditions will prevail through the forecast period. Daytime temperatures will be below seasonal average which will assist with keeping daytime RHs values in upper 20s to mid 30%. Winds will be northwest at 5 to 7 mph before shifting to the west and increasing to 8 to 10 with gusts to 20 mph, higher along ridgetops. Overnight RH recoveries will be moderate 45-50% with breezy conditions through 2 to 3 AM before shifting to the west at 5 to 7 mph. Daytime RH values Tuesday will be good to moderate.

http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wases-cougar-creek-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CougarCreekFire2024
Fire Information Line: 509-210-2928, 8 AM to 6 PM
Email: [email protected]

08/19/2024

Quick Facts for August 18:

• 24,091 acres
• 80% contained
• Personnel 226
• 4 crews, 15 engines, 7 water tenders, 3 heavy equipment

Photo caption: Wildland Fire Engine Crew working on the 43 road.

08/18/2024

The historic Mountain View Townsite is located on the southeast footprint of the Cougar Creek Fire. The townsite, which was acquired by WDFW in 2016 from 4-O Ranch, has several buildings and a historic cemetery. Many of the remaining buildings survived the wildfire and the cemetery had minor damage.

08/18/2024

Cougar Creek Fire Update
August 18th, 2024

The Cougar Creek Fire is burning within a mountainous and remote area on the Umatilla National Forest bordering the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.

Yesterday, falling modules continued the removal of danger trees between Mt. Horrible and Saddle Butte. Hand crews followed the wildland fallers to continue to search for remaining hot spots near the containment lines, extinguishing them when found. Given the steep and rugged terrain, crew safety and pace were evaluated to prevent injuries during operations. Along the 43 road, between the CCC camp and Indian Tom Corrals, wildland engine crews and hand crews backhauled remaining equipment and patrolled to ensure no hot spots were missed with gridding. Near Mountain View and Cougar Creek, rehabilitation of suppression activities, such as internal (not primary) dozer lines, continued.

A thunderstorm formed over the fire area last night, bringing up to a tenth of an inch of rainfall to the area.

Similar to yesterday, today’s operations will primarily focus on mop-up and rehabilitation. Crews will continue to patrol and backhaul equipment. As containment increased, crews are being demobilized and assigned to aid nearby wildfires or are returning to their home units.

Evacuations and Closures: FOREST ROAD CLOSURES HAVE BEEN REDUCED descriptions and maps are available online on the Umatilla National Forest closure website. Please respect area closure orders and use extra caution while driving for your safety as well as our firefighters. All evacuation orders have been lifted.

Weather and Smoke: High 79/Low 55: Today (Sunday) the threat of thunderstorms and rain will diminish leaving the fire area under mostly clear and drier conditions. Winds will decrease and be out of the southwest at 5 to 7 mph before shifting to the southeast at 5 mph around 4 PM. Daytime RHs will be moderate ranging from 30-40%. Tonight winds will shift to the north northwest and remain between 5 to 7 mph overnight. Overnight RH recoveries will be good ranging from 46-51%. Monday winds will be quiet to start before shifting to the north at 5 to 6 mph with daytime RH’s between 30-37%.

http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wases-cougar-creek-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CougarCreekFire2024
Fire Information Line: 509-210-2928, 8 AM to 6 PM
Email: [email protected]

08/18/2024

Quick Facts for August 17:

• 24,091 acres
• 75% contained
• Personnel 238
• 4 crews, 18 engines, 8 water tenders, 3 heavy equipment
Photo caption: view towards Saddle Butte from Mountain View Cemetery

08/17/2024

The Cougar Creek Fire is burning within a mountainous and remote area on the Umatilla National Forest bordering the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness.
Yesterday, mop-up operations made great progress along the north and western edge of the containment lines, increasing containment by 10 percent. The Falling Module continued to remove hazardous trees and snags, successfully ensuring firefighter safety and smooth operations. Firefighters continued to patrol containment lines looking for areas of concern. Fire crews to the south continued to repair work along dozer and handlines, suppression repair work included cleanup and erosion mitigation.
Yesterday an IR flight was completed, and all hotspots were located within the interior of the fire perimeter. Only a few hotspots were located near the interior of the primary containment lines.
Today, operations will continue to focus on mop-up operations along the northwest and west portions of the fire’s edge from CCC camp to Saddle Butte. Firefighters will continue to patrol the containment lines and address hotspots identified with the IR flight. Crews to the south and eastern portions of the fire will continue with suppression repair work focusing on Dozer and handlines. Fire crews will continue to backhaul equipment and hoses in areas they are no longer required. The interior will continue to produce smoke as left over fuel is consumed and may be visible to the public.
Evacuations and Closures: All evacuation orders have been lifted. Forest closure descriptions and maps are available online on the Umatilla National Forest closure website. Please respect area closure orders and use extra caution while driving for your safety as well as our firefighters.
Weather and Smoke: High 83/Low 53: Saturday winds will begin to increase and shift east at 5 to 8 mph with gusts to 17 likely. Daytime RHs will be poor/moderate ranging 22-27% with moderate overnight recoveries. Winds will continue to be a bit breezy overnight Saturday with winds from the east-northeast 5 to 10 mph with gusts to 20 mph then shifting to the southwest at 6 to 9 mph with gusts to 22 mph around 11 PM. Sunday winds will start from the southwest at 5 to 7 mph before shifting to the northeast around 5 PM. Daytime Rhs Sunday will moderate ranging between 30-40%

08/17/2024

Quick Facts for August 16:
• 24,091 acres
• 75% contained
• Personnel 272
• 5 crews, 23 engines, 9 water tenders, 3 heavy equipment
Photo caption: Firefighters mop-up along the fires edge.

08/16/2024

Cougar Creek Fire
August 16th, 2024

Fire Progression Map

This map shows the progression of the Cougar Creek Fire from July 16th (Black) to August 12th (Hot Pink – Last major burnout operation of the fire), which includes the daily growth in acres. Maps like these can help land managers and scientists look at a myriad of factors that impacted fire growth; from weather, topography, relative humidity, and fuels reduction projects, to name a few. As this data is analyzed, land managers, fire ecologists, and incident management teams can develop both short and long-term strategies for future fire control measures.

08/16/2024

Cougar Creek Fire
Update August 16th, 2024

Yesterday, firefighters continued to make good progress along the northern edge of the fire (Div G), increasing containment from Wenatchee Spring to the 040 road. A Falling Module working towards the CCC Camp and south towards Saddle Butte removed hazardous trees and snags, ensuring firefighter safety and reducing interruptions to mop-up operations. Crews on the southeastern section of the fire (Div D) continued to patrol in grid patterns to ensure the containment lines hold along the steep portions of Forest Road 40 at the fire's edge. In the area of Mountain View (southeast section of the fire), wildland crews continued to work on suppression repair within the fire’s interior. The crews focusing along dozer and handlines, suppression repair work included cleanup, removal of structure wrap, and erosion mitigation.

Today, firefighters' focus will remain on mop-up operations along the western portions of the fire’s edge. Crews will continue to patrol the northern portions of the containment lines. Firefighters along the southern and eastern portions will continue with suppression repair within the fire’s interior. Rainfall fell across the fire perimeter, measuring a quarter inch and greater in places. Smoke will be visible well in the interior of the fire in the Wenatchee drainage (NE of the fire), as fuels continue to consume in this area.

Evacuations and Closures: FOREST ROAD CLOSURES HAVE BEEN REDUCED descriptions and maps are available online on the Umatilla National Forest closure website. Please respect area closure orders and use extra caution while driving for your safety as well as our firefighters. All evacuation orders have been lifted.

Weather and Smoke: High 75/Low 64: A brief break in activity is expected for Friday with dry and stable conditions across the fire. Winds will be primarily below 5 to 7 mph and shifting from the north-northwest to the north around 5PM then decreasing and becoming light (less than 5 mph). A system will move across the area Saturday bringing east winds in the early morning before shifting to the south and Daytime RH will be moderate/good with excellent overnight recoveries.

http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/.
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wases-cougar-creek-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CougarCreekFire2024
Fire Information Line: 509-210-2928, 8 AM to 6 PM
Email: [email protected]

08/16/2024

Tomorrow, Forest officials will lift portions of the temporary closure of lands, trails and roads on the Pomeroy Ranger District Aug. 15, 2024, due to the successful suppression efforts that are taking place to actively contain Cougar Creek Fire.

The modification of the temporary closure area opens all campgrounds, trailheads and roads north of Forest Service Road 4304, FSR 43 and FSR 44 and areas west of FSR 40 as it runs along the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. The new temporary Forest Order 06-14-04-24-03 will be effective Thursday and supersedes Forest Orders 06-14-04-24-02. The revised closure area will still keep all U.S. Forest Service lands, trails and roads, to include those that define the closure area boundary, in Pomeroy Ranger District south of FSR 4304, 43, 44 and east of FSR 40 temporarily closed due to ongoing fire behavior and fire suppression operations still being conducted on Cougar Creek Fire by the Northwest Team 1 fire crew.

For more information or to find Umatilla National Forest Order closure descriptions and maps go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5286768.

Additional Information on the fires can be found at
• Battle Mountain Complex: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/or97s-battle-mountain-complex
• Lone Rock Fire: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/orprd-lone-rock-fire

Umatilla National Forest will announce any further changes to the temporarily closed areas as soon as possible. The temporary closures are continually assessed and will be lifted once the unprecedented conditions moderate.

With wildfires affecting portions of our forest this summer, please be aware of hazards associated with recently burned areas when temporary closures are lifted. Snags, loose rocks and logs can be present in a burned area and are unpredictable, creating hazards. Additionally, burned vegetation can also contribute to landslides, mudslides and erosion when rain occurs. The ground in a burned area can also be unstable, due to burned-out roots.

Fire officials want to remind everyone that the current fire danger rating remains at EXTREME and public use restrictions involving campfires, chainsaw use, smoking and off-road travel are in effect.

For more information regarding Restrictions, please contact:
Umatilla National Forest:
Information Hotline: Toll-Free (877) 958-9663

The latest fire information will be posted on the Blue Mountains Fire Information Blog. To receive updates on fires in the Blue Mountains, follow our blog at http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/.

Additional information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.

Cougar Creek Fire 2024

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