Your Hometown News Source
Your Hometown News Source
PENDLTON, Ore.–The Lick Creek Fire 71,512-acre wildfire is 40% contained as of Monday, July 19, 2021 at 6 a.m. Ground crews continue to secure the containment lines and aerial operations will operate as long as there is safe visibility.
Over the weekend, crews managed and contained the fire line along the perimeter to the north and east, along the South Fork of the Asotin Creek and Peola road, but remained in patrol status through Sunday, July 18, 2021. To the southeast, firefighters are continuing to find and secure small areas that are still smoking. More containment is anticipated in that area in the next couple days.
On the south side, firefighters continue to establish more depth on containment lines. Local terrain driven winds continue to funnel embers up to half mile across the line. Embers from interior torching trees did cause some spot fires on the southwest edge of the fire Saturday. Most of the recent burnouts, by hand and by helicopter, have been along the road northwest of Misery warming shed. Securing these edges, lessens the potential for the fire to move to the south and west. Around the Clearwater Lookout crews, assisted by heavy machinery, are working to secure fire line.
An alternate, or contingency fire line is being constructed to the southeast, east of Big Butte Lookout. Contingency lines are secondary containment lines constructed as back up in case the fire escapes primary containment lines.
Crews will work on securing and strengthening containment lines. Aerial operations will resume this afternoon if smoke clears sufficiently to allow for safe visibility. Firefighters on the ground will be igniting unburned areas along the fire line with handheld drip torches.
In the Rose Springs area, crews will continue chipping operations and start pulling out hose and other equipment. The fire has slowed down to creeping and smoldering with localized hot areas. The potential for fire spread or growth is minimal.
Oregon Department of Forestry Team 3, took command of Elbow Creek fire near Troy, Oregon today at 8 am. Firefighters that had assisted from Lick Creek Fire to help with initial response to Elbow Creek Fire returned to the Lick Creek Fire by the end of the day Sunday.
Smoke Information is available on the Washington Smoke Blog at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/
Evacuation levels have changed. Evacuation zones, and fire perimeter maps are posted on InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7615.
All Forest Service lands, roads, and trails within the Umatilla National Forest are closed. For more information visit the Umatilla National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd931174.pdf.
