Wind Gusts to 36 Mph Test Fire Lines, Consume Inte
Incident: Columbia River Road Wildland Fire
Released: 8/19/2008
High winds preceding a cold, dry front passing through the Colville Reservation are testing the integrity of fire lines at the Columbia River Road Fire. The winds are pushing smoke into valleys near the fire, causing low visibility. The fire, however, has not been spotting or torching in response to the wind. A few (less than ten, campfire-size pockets of fuels have been smoking in the fire's interior and several hand crews are mopping them up today.
A infrared flight Sunday showed only three small hot spots in the fire's interior.
Most of the rehabilitation of roads, trails and fire lines that could be completed by firefighters and heavy equipment at the fire was completed today. Two strike teams of engines and a water tender are patrolling the fire and a hand crew is mopping up a small area of interior fires along the west flank (Division C).
Tomorrow, the management of the fire will transition to a Type III incident management team under the command of Chris Naccarado of Salida, Colo. According to Naccarado, winds are testing the fire and helping to consume any remaing fuels.
Fire managers from the Colville Reservation are carefully watching the cold, dry front moving through the area late today, bringing with it lightning and spotty rain. They are prepared for initial attack on new fire starts resulting from the lightning or powerlines.
