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Post by Jon on Oct 12, 2009 17:37:02 GMT -8
I went and explored for a bit after work. The road is open from 4 corners to the Gravel Pit at C loop above Deer Pin (I think I got that right). I'll post some pics when I get back home. You couldn't see anything, and while there is still the smell of smoke in spots, I couldn't actually see it like I could last night. The watchman is back also, but I didn't get a chance to stop and talk to him (tech support job to do so I had to scoot).
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Post by bchutchens on Oct 12, 2009 18:27:42 GMT -8
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jeeper78
Winch Cable Monkey
1972 CJ-5
Posts: 39
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Post by jeeper78 on Oct 12, 2009 20:55:07 GMT -8
Interesting video... good find!
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Post by Jon on Oct 13, 2009 8:42:35 GMT -8
OK so I lied, I meant I would post the pictures today ;D Not much to see though... News reports today are very positive, and I am sure todays rain is helping.... Yacolt Burn wildfire tamed Monday, October 12 | 8:56 p.m.
BY MARISSA HARSHMAN COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER
A helicopter drops water on a 40-50 acre fire burning in the Yacolt Burn State Forest near Washougal on Monday. (ZACHARY KAUFMAN/The Columbian)
Crews from Larch Corrections Center dig fire lines along the perimeter of a nearly 50-acre fire burning in the Yacolt Burn State Forest on Monday. Officials don’t know what caused the blaze, but lightning has been ruled out. (Zachary kaufman/The Columbian)
1of2A fire spokesman on Monday night said a blaze that has consumed nearly 50 acres in the Yacolt Burn State Forest was at least 90 percent contained and fire crews hoped to begin mop-up efforts today.
Crews expected to get a helping hand from Mother Nature; wetter weather is predicted for several days this week and should keep the blaze from growing.
"If this were early August, we would have had a real problem on our hands," said Russ Hovey, spokesman with the state Department of Natural Resources.
About 7:30 p.m. Monday, Hovey said the fire was at least 90 percent contained, and that commanders were sending several engine crews and a helicopter back home.
"It looks much better," he said. "We've got an awful lot of water on the perimeter of this thing."
To make sure the fire presented no danger of spreading, Hovey said, one or two engine crews planned to watch it through Monday night.
The fire was the largest in the Yacolt Burn State Forest in recent memory, he said. The Yacolt Burn of September 1902 is the most memorable blaze that occurred in the area. That fire scorched 239,000 acres and killed 38 people.
Officials are still unsure what caused the recent fire, but Hovey said they have ruled out lightning. The site of the blaze is also a popular spot for target practice and garbage dumping, but officials have not determined if either of those contributed to the fire, he said.
The fire, burning near the Clark-Skamania county line, was reported at about 6:40 p.m. Sunday. High winds and steep terrain fueled the blaze, causing it to grow.
By Monday, though, the fire had consumed much of the brush and other light fuels and was slowly creeping down the hillside. Light smoke rolled off the smoldering hillside and dissipated with each wind gust. The wind was also pushing the fire into nearby timber, but it wasn't burning hot enough to ignite the larger trees, Hovey said.
About 115 firefighters were at the scene Monday afternoon. Firefighters from the DNR and five local agencies dragged hoses through the charred timber sale site. A helicopter dropped buckets of water near the perimeter of the fire. And 10-person crews from Larch Corrections Center dug trenches near the downhill edge of the blaze. The ditches serve as a fire line and will catch debris rolling down the hillside.
Officials expected the high winds to continue but were also anticipating wet weather Monday evening.
"We kinda want to get the line in and let Mother Nature help us out," Hovey said.
The fire's rapid growth Sunday evening prompted the Clark County Sheriff's Office to evacuate nearby homes. Deputy Ryan Taylor said the sheriff's office issued a voluntary evacuation of homes on Boulder Creek Road and six residences were cleared out. Those homeowners returned Monday morning to find their homes undamaged. Wendie Boyd lives on 354th Avenue, which branches off of Boulder Creek Road, and said she and her neighbors were also evacuated Sunday. Officers knocked on her door at about 9 p.m. and suggested Boyd pack her most prized possessions and leave her home of 28 years. Boyd guesses that her home is about a mile from the fire.
"As long as we had our pets and photos, everything else is replaceable," she said.
About two dozen residents in the area left their homes, many heading to a hotel for a night of restless sleep, she said. Boyd and many of her neighbors had returned home by Monday afternoon but were prepared to evacuate again if necessary.
"We still have our vehicles packed," she said.
The cool temperatures and rain predicted for the next several days should keep the fire from spreading much more, though, Hovey said. I dont know.... I'm certainly not an arson investigator, but I watch a ton of CSI so that makes me an expert ;D Anyway, I would think that if a truck started this fire they would have found a burnt out hulk of a truck by now. Maybe I am wrong, and again... just speculating.... It will be interesting to see what the real experts find out on the cause.
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Post by bchutchens on Oct 13, 2009 16:06:49 GMT -8
Just got back, Still closed from the Jones Creek trail head parking lot. Officer said that the fire investigator are looking into arson. Also the Officer was going to look into our club, because he is new here and loves four-wheeling.
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Post by Jon on Oct 13, 2009 21:28:04 GMT -8
Also the Officer was going to look into our club, because he is new here and loves four-wheeling. This would be a good thing.
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flipflop
Ok to Drive
attitude is everything
Posts: 178
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Post by flipflop on Oct 13, 2009 21:54:11 GMT -8
You guys are the best, I don't have to search for anything just sit here, with popcorn and enjoy all of the info. and pics. We're all real lucky it was only 50+/- acres, also glad no one was injured battling this fire!!
Kind regards,
flip.flop
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beatcj
Ok to Drive
Flat out LAZY...
Posts: 169
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Post by beatcj on Oct 14, 2009 11:03:20 GMT -8
I was up there again yesterday. The DNR Fire Investigator spent the entire day working on the fire, too. He believes he has the Point of Origin narrowed down. If you have information, he would
LOVE
to have the opportunity to speak with you directly. He WON'T be contacting you on a message board, it's not a good way to build a case... If you would like me to pass on contact information, PM it to me, and I will forward it to the Incident Commander, to pass on. You can call their phone numbers, too, they WILL listen.
There are still some smokes and hot spots, but we had most of them mopped up withing 100 feet of the fire line. The Larch Camp and DNR Engine crews worked really hard in miserable conditions yesterday, Initial sustained winds at 60, easing off to gusts to 60 later through the saddle at the junction. When I first got there and refilled the portable tanks, we had freezing rain building up on the side of our water tender. Really glad THAT let off.
I was planning on going to the meeting last night, but I didn't get done with all the paperwork until after 7:00. They are done using local resources, they will finish it with Larch Crews and DNR Engines.
It's funny what 30 days can bring. If this fire had happened with this king of wind in September, we would have been chasing it in Boulder Creek, or maybe downtown Hockinson. Really, if we had a Yacolt Burn like the big one, it would burn the same way it did back then. We couldn't keep the acres from being lost. What we do expect that we will be able to do is save a significant number of homes, and keep the co-operative customers from losing their lives. The Fischer fire in Leavenwort had almost 400 homes within the fire line. We lost one, and that homeowner wouldn't let us prepare the home. We could do that here, too.
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Post by bchutchens on Oct 14, 2009 18:34:19 GMT -8
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