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WEST MOUNTAIN FIRES

Boulder, Snag, Dollar & Goat Fire Updates

QUICK FACTS

Fire            Location                                   Size               Containment    Assigned Crews         Inciweb link

Boulder     9 miles SW of Cascade      2,396 acres          57%                356                      https://tinyurl.com/ycdfv3tv

Snag           11 miles E of Cascade       27,458 acres         3%                  525           https://tinyurl.com/4k9dk3mu

Dollar         18 miles NE of Cascade     2,937 acres           0%                  7                         https://tinyurl.com/bef6r3tz

Goat           11 miles SE of Cascade      2,427 acres           0%                 46                       https://tinyurl.com/2h4a3dvr

Cause: Lightning (All Fires)                                                     Total Incident Personnel: 934

Weather | Anticipated Fire Behavior: 

A frontal air mass passed through the area Tuesday evening causing wind shifts and a cooler drying trend. This produced fire behavior including backing, group torching, and small isolated runs where wind and terrain align. There was growth on the northeast perimeter of the Snag Fire. The Goat Fire also grew on the north and southwest of the perimeter yesterday. Temperatures today start off cooler and drier after the front. Temperatures rise in the coming days with continued low relative humidity. Lower humidities will persist throughout the night—especially if thermal belts form along the higher elevation. This can increase the amount of time the fire can actively burn during the day.

• Army crews from the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion based at Joint Base Lewis McChord are currently assisting with suppression efforts on the West Mountain fires as well as assisting with adjacent wildfires in the area.

Boulder Fire:

• Limited heat remains on the western edge where growth is checked by rocky, non-flammable features.
• Suppression repair and mop up on an interior pocket of heat on the northeast side are continuing.
• Crews are backhauling equipment to the incident command post for re-use on other fires.

Dollar Fire:

• Firefighters and Army crews are securing recent firing operations along the western perimeter with support of helicopters to deliver water.
• Small firing operations may be implemented along the western edge when weather conditions are conducive.

Snag Fire:                                                                                                                                                

• Increased fire activity due to strong winds caused closure of Warm Lake Highway and de-energizing of a power line.
• Crews burned out a strip of green vegetation south of Warm Lake Highway yesterday to reduce the chance of spotting across the roadway. Another small firing operation will be conducted along the eastern fire perimeter south of the highway, to reduce risk to the powerline and highway.
• Firefighters and army crews continue holding fire line, mopping up, and patrolling along the fire’s western flank. 
• A firing operation is needed on the southern edge to remove available surface fuels between the fire and Forest Service roads #406 and #409. This operation will be implemented when weather conditions allow, possibly today.

Goat Fire:                                                                                                                                               

• Fire managers are assessing the values at risk and risk to firefighters from any proposed strategy, to ensure that actions taken are those most likely to be successful, while balancing risk to firefighting resources with the values they are protecting.
• Crews are improving Forest Service trail 099 as a contingency holding feature in case of fire movement around south end of the 2023 East Fire burned area. 

Crews are scouting for potential holding features closer to the active fire edge, as well as taking fuel moisture samples to aid in anticipating fire behavior.