Above: Tanker 55, a CV-580, drops water on the Bybee Creek Fire July 28, 2016. NPS photo. Click to enlarge.
The Bybee Creek Fire has burned close to the rim of the Crater Lake caldera in southwest Oregon. The 720-acre fire, when throwing out burning embers up to a half mile ahead, created one spot fire inside the caldera in Crater Lake National Park.
A spot fire inside the Crater Lake caldera on the Bybee Creek Fire. Undated NPS photo.
Information released by the Type 3 incident management team Wednesday morning reported that a fireline has been completed around the entire fire, but some of it is indirect. Firefighters will burn out the fuel between the line and the fire as soon as conditions are favorable.
A Type 1 incident management team has been ordered and some of its members were on scene Wednesday morning. A decision will be made, in light of the current state of the fire, if the Type 1 team will assume command of the fire.
3-D map of the Bybee Creek Fire in Crater Lake National Park. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:06 a.m. PDT August 3, 2016; the yellow dots were from the previous six days. Click to enlarge.
The fire is burning in the scar from the 2006 Bibee Fire. One of the objectives of the incident management team is to keep the fire east of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is closed near the fire.
The Rim Village and National Park Headquarters are under a Level 1 evacuation notice — be ready to leave immediately.
Two water-scooping CL-415 air tankers, helicopters, and large air tankers have been assisting the firefighters on the ground. We asked spokesperson Lucinda Nolan if the helicopters were obtaining water from Crater Lake and she said “Gosh, no.” The scoopers are using water from Lost Creek Lake 27 miles southeast of the fire. Ms. Nolan said the air tankers have been dropping fugitive retardant which fades quickly to become nearly invisible, and water.
Map showing the distribution of smoke from wildfires, 6 a.m. MDT, August 2, 2016.
Smoke from wildfires in the western United States continues to affect the northwest and the northern great plains.
The National Weather Service has posted Red Flag Warnings for areas in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota.
The Red Flag map was current as of 8 a.m. MDT on Tuesday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts and maps. For the most current data visit this NWS site.
This time-lapse video shows the start of the Roaring Lion Fire and how quickly it grew to become a massive fire in about three hours. It was recorded by Jeff Kempka.
The Roaring Lion Fire, outlined in red, is burning in an area where many other fires have occurred in the last 30 years.
The Roaring Lion fire southwest of Hamilton, Montana did not spread as much Wednesday as on previous days. The latest mapping shows it at 7,752 acres, an increase of 622 acres, with most of that growth being on the south side.
Below is an excerpt from a release by the incident management team Thursday morning:
In the Sawtooth drainage crews are constructing hand line to reduce the possibility of fire spread to the north. From Roaring Lion Road to the Whispering Pine area, crews continue to mop up and extinguish any hot spots. Hotshot crews are working close to the fire’s edge and building hand line above Camas Creek toward Gold Creek. From Camas Creek to Hayes Creek line is being constructed toward the Observation fire area.
Heavy equipment continues to improve contingency lines should the fire continue to spread to the south. Rapid Response teams comprised of engines, dozers and water tenders are staged for initial attack on any new fire starts in residential areas. Air support continues to work hot spots and hot areas of the fire. Firefighters are working around the clock to take advantage of cooler temperatures and higher humidity today.
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(UPDATED at 8:50 a.m. MDT August 3, 2016)
The Roaring Lion Fire four miles southwest of Hamilton, Montana was very active Tuesday night under the influence of strong winds from the north and northwest. Sustained at 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 50, the wind pushed the fire another mile and a half to the south into the Ward Creek drainage. The fire also grew on the north side. The winds were strongest from 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday until midnight.
Resources assigned to the fire include 9 helicopters and 524 personnel. Single engine and large air tankers are available as needed, but their use was hampered Tuesday by smoke.
3-D Map of the Roaring Lion Fire looking west. The white line was the perimeter at 7 p.m. on August 1. The red line was the perimeter at 2 a.m. on August 3, while the red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 4:06 am August 3, 2016. Click to enlarge.
The number of homes burned remains at 14. Approximately 50 outbuildings have been destroyed.
About 800 homes are under evacuation orders to either be ready to leave immediately, or to leave now.
One elderly gentleman died as a result of a medical condition during the evacuation.
Over the last 24 hours the fire grew by 2,700 acres to bring the total to 7,130 acres.
US Highway 93 was closed for five hours on Tuesday when smoke reduced the visibility.
Below is a report from KTMF/KWYB just after the Wednesday morning briefing.
The weather forecast for Wednesday predicts much cooler temperatures and higher humidity — 76 degrees and 24 percent (compared to 90 degrees and 17 percent on Tuesday). But the wind will be strong out of the west, at 16 mph gusting to 23.
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(UPDATED at 6:25 p.m. MDT August 2, 2016)
3-D map of the Roaring Lion Fire looking west at 2:30 a.m. MDT August 2, 2016. The terrain goes from 3,600 feet to over 8,000 feet in elevation.
The strongest winds we wrote about earlier are expected to be at their peak from about 6 p.m. until midnight tonight, gusting at 32 to 38 mph from the northwest.
(Originally published at 7:45 a.m. MDT August 2, 2016)
The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the Roaring Lion Fire has destroyed at least 14 homes in the Bitterroot National Forest four air miles southwest of Hamilton, Montana. Since starting Sunday afternoon the blaze had burned approximately 4,400 acres as of 7 p.m. on Monday, growing by about 900 acres over the previous 24 hours. The additional fire spread was primarily on the west and northwest sides.
The red line was the perimeter of the Roaring Lion Fire at 7 p.m. MDT August 1. The red squares represent heat detected by a satellite about 8 hours later at 2:45 a.m. MDT August 2, 2016. Click to enlarge.
The weather on Monday was relatively mild, with temperatures reaching the high 80s and winds of 1 to 7 mph. That will change Tuesday afternoon with a Red Flag Warning affecting the area. The forecast is for 16 to 22 mph west and northwest winds gusting up to 31 mph along with relative humidities in the lower teens. This will test any control lines firefighters have established on the east side of the fire — the area with the highest concentration of structures.
On August 1 the Predictive Services section at the National Interagency Fire Center issued their Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for August through November, 2016. The data represents the cumulative forecasts of the ten Geographic Area Predictive Services Units and the National Predictive Services Unit. Below are highlights from the outlook.
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“For August, significant wildland fire potential will continue to be focused in the finer fuel and brush areas of California and the Great Basin with some expansion into Oregon, Montana and Wyoming. Primary concerns continue to focus on the abundant fine fuels and their ability to carry fires more effectively than in a typical year. Additionally significant mortality will increase heavy fuel availability throughout the mountains of California, while typical summer dryness will bring fire activity in the heavier fuels of the Northwest, Northern Rockies, Rocky Mountains and Great Basin up to normal levels. Furthermore, the Southwest, Rocky Mountains and southern Great Basin will see an intermittent monsoon which will continue some level of fire activity in those areas.
“As fall begins, days shorten, temperatures cool and frontal systems become more common. This typical transition will return much of the Northwest, Northern Rockies, Rocky Mountains and Great Basin to normal fire activity through September. California will continue to see elevated potential due to long term dryness. This will occasionally be amplified through the fall and early winter as offshore flow events become more common. The southern U.S. will also see an increase to above normal significant fire potential as long term dryness couples with leaf drop and dormancy of live fuels to create a receptive environment for fall fire activity.
“By October and November much of central California will transition to normal fire potential as is seasonally expected. Southern California will continue to see elevated significant fire potential and will also see the persistent threat of offshore wind events. The southeastern states will see a broad area of increased potential as a result of long term dryness and the introduction of La Niña conditions which typically bring warmer and drier-than-normal conditions to the southern tier of states.”
Map showing the distribution of smoke from wildfires, August 1, 2016. Weatherunderground. Click to enlarge.
Smoke from wildfires in the western United States is affecting areas as far east as the Mississippi River and Lake Superior.
The National Weather Service has posted Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches for areas in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
The maps were current as of 2:50 p.m. MDT on Monday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts and maps. For the most current data visit this NWS site.
