Lone Mountain 1 Fire
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Sunday, August 10, 2014
The long-term strategy for the Lone Mountain 1 Fire is to allow for the natural effects of fire in the Stephen Mather Wilderness, while protecting values at risk. The fire was started by lightning on July 14 in the Boulder Creek drainage, well above Stehekin. This fire has been characterized by quick short runs up the stringers of high elevation conifers on the steep and rocky slopes. Lofting embers from group tree torching cause spotting out ahead further upslope, and burning material rolls down slope and ignites fuels below. In the absence of any discernible wind in this bowl ringed by mountains on three sides, the fire has slowly chunked along northward up Rennie Creek and west down Boulder Creek.
Helicopters have been steadily dropping water from 500 gallon buckets on any hotspots causing concern. The vulnerable southeast edge near War Creek Pass presented concern early on and received the most attention from air and ground resources. Now the west edge in Boulder Creek is being addressed with direct attack from ground crews assisted by bucket drops to arrest the fire's move westward toward the Stehekin Valley.
The weather is expected to remain warmer and drier than normal throughout August, and this fire will be tended and managed with available resources until a season-ending event. Historically, autumn rains have manifested on or about October 15, extinguishing any lingering smokes in the North Cascades.
Contact: Information Desk in Winthrop: 509-997-0857
Public Information Officers: Kim Smolt and Sheela McLean in Winthrop (509-997-0857) and Ted Pettis in Stehekin (509-699-2080, ext.18).
For the latest fire information for all fires in Washington and elsewhere, go to: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/49/ .
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