Cooler Weather Monday Follows Winds and Unsettled Weather Tonight
Incident: Little People Wildfire
Released: 9/6/2009
Little People fire:
- Fire activity Sunday was limited to flames on unburned islands of material on the ground within the firelines. The fire remains 80% contained.
- Access is through a narrow limestone canyon on tribal lands. A two-person crew used a small skid loader, which is gentle on the land, to place small logs across Pryor Creek in a few spots Saturday. Crews can now hike to the fire without wading through the stream.
- Slips and trips have been a hazard on the steep ground, with rolling material spreading the fire. Most of the five crews have one or two firefighters with foot blisters from clambering up and downhill for days.
- Three helicopters are shuttling crews and supporting suppression efforts with occasional water bucket drops.
- The remaining challenge to firefighters should be energetic winds tonight. Unsettled weather was approaching the Pryor Mountains at 5:30 p.m.. Incident Commander Bob Roberts said, "Hard work has put us in good shape once the front passes. When it's that steep with that much material on the ground, the fire can still surprise us.... but the odds are very much in our favor."
- Even after the fire is contained and the weather cools, mopup of smoldering heavy logs and roots will continue for several days.
Weather:
- A Red Flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service for gusty 25 mph winds, low humidity and temperatures in the 90's Sunday afternoon, then isolated dry thunderstorms and a vigorous wind shift from southwest to northeast tonight, as a dry cold front sweeps across the area. High temperatures will drop almost 20 degrees for Labor Day.
