Gusty winds combined with a shift in direction caused the Green Ridge Fire southeast of Dayton to flare dramatically Saturday afternoon.
The active burning pushed by 25 mph wind gusts out of the west-southwest sent a plume of smoke and ash over the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. The smoke turned the setting sun into an intense red ball and caused flecks of ash to fall from the sky.
“We anticipated this with the winds coming up,” said Lyn Sieliet, a fire information officer at Dayton.
She said the same wind pattern is forecast to be repeated today. Sieliet did not know how much of a run the fire made but said the wind also caused pockets within the lines of the Lick Creek Fire to burn actively.
The Green Ridge Fire is burning mostly in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness Area on the Umatilla National Forest. At last report, it had grown to 14,000 acres and was 15 percent contained. The Lick Creek Fire on the Pomeroy Ranger District has burned more than 80,000 acres and is 90 percent contained.
Meanwhile, the cold front expected to move into the Dixie and Jumbo fires areas, located 15 miles south of Elk City, today could be accompanied by wind gusts up to 30 mph and a 30-to-40 percent chance of rain. The effects of residual moisture under the heavy canopy have continued to result in minimal fire behavior.
However, with the return to warmer and drier temperatures this week, fire managers are expecting more active fire behavior to return.
The Dixie and Jumbo fires have burned 45,884 acres. The Dixie Fire is 59 percent contained and the Jumbo Fire is 45 percent contained.
The Granite Pass Complex near Lolo has burned 5,739 acres and remains 4 percent contained. Consisting of four fires, the use of water is aiding crews with mop-up operations to protect Highway 12, timber resources, electric transmission lines and recreational improvements while also minimizing impacts to private property and structures.
Located 23 miles east of Elk City, the Lynx Fire remains around 4,800 acres. Fire managers may consider an expansion of the existing closure area if the fire perimeter continues to grow over the next couple days.
The Swanson Creek Fire is about 542 acres and is 20 miles northeast of Pierce.
As for the Leland Complex, the 1,617-acre Sand Mountain Fire near Harvard is 90 percent contained and the 1,349-acre Johnson Creek Fire near Elk River is 71 percent contained. Firelines continue to hold on both fires as containment increases and mop-up operations become more focused on specific hot spots.
The 8,079-acre Cougar Rock Complex, located 30 miles northeast of Orofino, remains at 42 percent containment and increased its personnel from 352 Friday to 432 Saturday.
