8/19/2015 Kettle Complex Update (Stickpin, Graves Mtn, Roy & Renner Fires)

Incident Summary: The Kettle Complex includes four fires in northern Ferry County Washington.

Current Situation: Firefighters continue to arrive to work on the Kettle Complex. Crews are taking advantage of cooler weather and mild winds. Significant fire activity continued across the region yesterday and fire officials are working together to prioritize incident personnel and manage numerous incidents. Support teams from the Washington National Guard have arrived. The Guard medics and other personnel will assist fire managers to ensure safety of the public and firefighters on the Kettle Complex. A warming and drying trend is forecast for the next several days and fire activity is expected to increase significantly on Wednesday and Thursday on all fires in the Kettle Complex.

Stickpin Fire - Stickpin Fire is at 37,850 acres. Structure protection is the highest priority for the limited resources; firefighters are providing structure protection and looking for options to construct fire lines. Dozer and hand line construction continued yesterday in the Boulder Creek and Long Alec Creek areas. Yesterday, interior fuels burned near the northern perimeter on Togo Mountain. The fire has burned into the Togo Fire (2003) burn area. The fire is approximately 4 miles south of the Canadian border. Continued growth is expected today. Three helicopters arrived yesterday to support firefighting efforts. Public and firefighter safety is a significant concern, and incident management personnel are looking at all options for suppression. Fire crews from across the state are in place to assist Ferry County Fire District 14 with structure protection under the State Mobilization Act as approved by the Chief of the State Patrol and the State Fire Marshal.

Roy Road Fire – The Roy Road Fire is burning west of Republic and is approximately 120 acres. There are four homes threatened. A dozer line has been completed around the fire perimeter, however, the interior remains active. There is a significant amount of unburned fuel in the interior. The cause is under investigation.

Graves Mountain Fire – The Graves Mountain Fire is burning along Highway 20 in the Sherman Pass area and the smoke column will continue to be visible. The fire is approximately 1,300 acres. It started on Thursday during a thunderstorm from a tree falling in power lines. Firefighters have constructed a fireline on the southern perimeter near the BPA powerlines and are continuing to patrol and monitor the lines. The fire is burning in thick lodgepole pine in steep, rocky terrain.