Oct. 9 Tiger Creek Fire update
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA NATIONAL FOREST – News release issued at noon 10/09) Current Situation: The Tiger Creek Fire is currently 573 acres, and is eleven percent contained with 484 firefighting resources assigned. Crews continue to work toward full suppression of the fire.
A community meeting will be hosted on Wednesday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Walla Walla Fire District 4 Station 5. The fire station is located at, 6531 Mill Creek Road.
Firefighters have been able to contain the fire to the east of Tiger Creek. The Umatilla Veterans Crew and Greyback Crew will be setup in spike camps with full overhead and medical support. Spike camps allow for more time on the ground and cuts travel time to and from their work area. With the dry cold front moving in, crews will monitor for spot fires.
An unmanned aviation system (UAS), otherwise known as a drone, will continue to fly over the area to assist in finding spot fires so they can be quickly addressed. Other aviation resources include three type 1 as well as type 2 and 3 aircraft.
Closures and Restrictions: Access through Forest Service Road (FSR) 65 up through FSR 64 to the junction with Indian Camp is closed. Government Mountain Road/FSR 6511 is closed from North Fork Walla Walla trailhead to the junction with FSR 65 at Tiger Saddle. Government Mountain Rd/FSR 6511 is open from the west to North Fork Walla Walla trailhead. The current fire danger rating is MODERATE and public use restrictions phase A for Umatilla National Forest are in effect. For more information regarding restrictions, please contact Umatilla National Forest Toll-free Information Hotline: 1.877.958.9663.
Weather: A cold front moves in today, which will bring clouds, higher wind speeds, and a rise in humidity. These conditions will limit fire activity and growth. Cloudy today with highs mid 60s to mid 70s with afternoon humidity 45-55%. West-Northwest winds 10-15 mph with gusts around 20-25 mph in the afternoon. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with some sun in the afternoon but temperatures around 40-50 degrees.
Smoke: Walla Walla’s air quality for today is good to moderate, some residents along Mill Creek may experience smoke as the fire continues to burn. Check out https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/?m=1 for more information
